Géza Perneczky - Ruud Janssen

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Literature:
thing in the Network. (Ever Art)»
«DECENTRALIZED PROCESS
What follows this grap created by the art Strike? Was the International Mail
Art Network just a shoortlived therapeutic community, enabling its members to do
the work of mourning?
The Decentralized International Mail Art Congress, initiated in 1986 by Günther
Ruch and myself, turned out ot be the cradle of the new artist: the Networker.
More than 80 Networkers had organized their own congress sessions and over 500
like-minded visitors had attended the events which were planned according to the
respective necessities and possibilities. They all shared the intention to conceive
communication- and organisation systems as well as the willingness to participate at
the projects of the others.
The Network of the eighties in particular, formed the sheltered setting for the
process of liberation and development from the dependent to the independet Networker,
who yet co-operates with like-minded Networkers.
NEW AREAS OF ACTIVITY
The networker does not move in the traditional „art spaces“ (galleries, museums,
etc.). His field are the spaces between people, for Mail Art and Tourism create
spaces between partners, in addition every Networker constitutes a measuring-point
for the „space-system“ of the other. The Networker does not merely construct these
spaces (hello, Charles François, also by means of computer connections!), he
defines them, he exploits them, and establishes relationship within theses „spacesystems“.
ABOUT DEFINING THE NETWORKER'S ROLE
Let's use the time and energy the Art Strike has released to prepare the
World-Wide Decentralized Networker Congress 1992. The collaboration with the
new generation of artists outside the Mail Art Network has to be found...»
(H. Rudi → Fricker: Mail Art – a Process of Detachment /5-6-7th paragraphs.
Trogen, March 1990)
«...Es gibt eine junge Künstlergeneration, welche auch das traditionale Kunstsystem
verlässt, ohne in das Mail Art Netz involviert gewesen zu sein. Wir müssen die
Zusammenarbeit mit diesen suchen, insbesondere wenn es gilt die Rolle und das
Feld des neuen Künstlers, nennen wir ihn Networker, zu definieren. Deshalb proklamiere
ich den nächsten weltweiten-dezentralisieirten Kongress als Networker-
Kongress 1992. Das Thema ist: „Rollendefinition“. ich werde ein Papier zusammenstellen,
welches den Networker Anstazweise definirt, damit klar wird, wer damit
angesprochen sein könnte (nicht nur Mail-Artisten). Eine Gegenübebrstellung der
Rollen-Paradigmen „der Künstler ↔ der Networker“. Ich werde einige Kollegen
bitten, mir ihre Gegenüberstellung zu senden. Die Zusammenstellung verwende ich
dann für den Kongress-Aufruf. Was meinst du dazu?» (H. R. → Fricker: Letter zu
Géza Perneczky, March 28, 1990)
(The Face of the Congress, #3 / From our Mailbox): (...) «You can mail to some
of the people all of the time, and you can mail to all of the people some of the time,
but you can't mail to all of the people all of the time. Jacques → Massa, France.»
«Am I congressing? Yes. I would like but no money for travelling to meet
somebody else from Mail Art Network! Sad but true! But, who knows? Anyway, all
the best! Piotr Piatek, Poland.»
«Yes I am in the Congress Fever... We are all crazy and it's good. Baudhuin
Simon, Belgium»
«Congress Yourself. A sticker by Piermario → Ciani, Italy»
«...I don't agree with Mrs. Rea → Nikonova's statement „we don't understand
people from the West, you don't understand our problems“. Everybody has (their)
own problems and it doesn't depend on a country where you live... I'm sure people
are able to understand each other if they want to do it... So DNC is a means for