Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1904 - 1914

Here is a vintage postcard made by Henri-Gabriel Ibels, somewhere in France. It's been stamped, addressed, and sent on its merry way! I'm fascinated by how the marks of transit—the postmarks, the handwriting—become part of the artwork. It's like layers of intention and accident all piled up. I can imagine Ibels carefully writing the address, maybe thinking about the recipient, Philip Zilcken. Then the postal workers, day after day, stamping and sorting, adding their own mark. There's a rhythm to it, a kind of dance. The textures of the paper, the faded ink, the smudges—they all tell a story. It’s not just about the message, but the journey. And it reminds me that art is never really finished, it keeps evolving, accruing new meanings as it travels through time and space. It makes me think about other artists who worked with mail art, like Ray Johnson. They understood this potential for transformation, for collaboration across distance. It’s all one big conversation, isn’t it?