| The Do It With Others (DIWO) E-Mail-Art exhibition aims to
highlight the already thriving imaginations of those who use social
networks and digital networks on the Internet as a form of
distribution. Just like Mail Art, E-Mail-Art bridges the divide
between artists and non artists to share a freely accessible form
of distribution.
The Mail Art projects of the 60s, 70s and 80s demonstrated Fluxus artists' common disregard for the distinctions of 'high' and 'low' art and a disdain for what they saw as the elitist gate-keeping of the 'high' art world. They often took the form of themed, 'open calls', in which all submissions were exhibited and catalogued. Mail Art has always been a useful way to bypass curatorial restrictions for those who wish to create active and imaginative exchange on their own terms; this form of activity usually flourishes outside of the gallery system. This E-Mail-Art exhibition, intends to follow the spirit of past Mail Art endeavours by asking those submitting their works to open themselves to a shared dialogue as part of the process and medium on the NetBehaviour mail list, as a playful platform for experimentation together at the same time. The theme of this E-Mail-Art project is Do It With Others (DIWO). This project suggests that we extend the DIY ethos of some early net art and tactical media, towards a more collaborative, DIWO approach. Peers connect, communicate and collaborate, creating controversies, structures and culture using both digital networks and shared physical environments.
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