Prentbriefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1920 - 1930

Curator: This is a postcard to Philip Zilcken, likely dating from the 1920s or 30s. It seems to be a drawing, primarily ink on paper. Editor: It's so lovely! Look at that hurried script, those inked addresses slashing across the card. Feels intimate and casual at the same time. Curator: Absolutely. When situating it, we should remember the context of letter writing during that period, particularly amongst artists and intellectuals. Postcards became a vital medium of exchange, for everything from quick greetings to artistic correspondence, creating connections across borders. Editor: I imagine artists dashed these off while sitting in cafés or in trains heading from one city to another! I can almost feel that kinetic energy humming through this object. Was Zilcken another artist then, a contemporary of Charles Destrée? Curator: He was indeed. Zilcken was known for his etchings and paintings. Understanding their connection helps us unpack a whole network of artistic relationships. Consider too the postal systems themselves: infrastructures shaped by empire, trade, and increasingly accessible forms of global exchange, giving more possibilities for connection, while often still deeply flawed in their equity. Editor: Yes, a portal for ideas as well as a reflection of political systems and societal shifts… Makes this small postcard bigger somehow. I see handwriting as being really central to our understanding here. Almost an intimacy captured through something as fleeting as a dashed off greeting. I could trace the letters for hours... imagine that ink flowing onto paper decades ago... Curator: I agree. Thinking through handwriting practices links to how identity and self-expression manifest in the piece, too. The choice to communicate this way rather than using a formal typed message shows deliberate self-disclosure. Editor: Yes, absolutely. You know, thinking about this makes me wonder about all the invisible histories carried within the postal system. Curator: Definitely, It makes us consider the intersections between biography, materiality, and broader political systems. Editor: This postcard…a tiny whisper from the past to the present. Beautiful, isn't it?