Mail Art in Action

From 19 September to 29 October 2026, the Tasso and Postal History Museum in Cornello dei Tasso, Camerata Cornello, Bergamo, Italy hots the international Mail Art exhibition titled “MAIL ART IN ACTION / FOR RUGGERO MAGGI”. This exhibition promises to be a significant event in the art calendar, showcasing the innovative works of various international artists.

Artist, curator, and eclectic figure on the international avant-garde scene, Ruggero Maggi made social, ethical, and ecological research one of the central themes of his artistic practice. He is recognized as one of the leading figures in Mail Art since the 1970s, and in 1980, he founded the AMAZON Archive of artistic works and projects about the Amazonic World, an artistic archive dedicated to the protection of the rainforest, Ecology, and Nature, which has inspired many artists and activists alike. he founded the Amazon Archive, dedicated to the protection of the rainforest and indigenous culture, which remains a vital resource for understanding the intersection of art and environmental activism.

The exhibition project, curated by Kappa (a performer and long-standing collaborator of Ruggero Maggi, with whom the artist developed numerous projects, organised exhibitions, and promoted events) and by the Museum, takes shape from the works received by the Museum through a call addressed to both Italian and international mail artists. The artists were invited to create a 'pro memoria' card in postcard format and free technique they wished, dedicated to Ruggero Maggi, who recently 'returned to sender', to honour his artistic and poetic journey, which has left a lasting impact on the art world. The exhibition is based on works submitted in response to the call, which invited Italian and international artists to create a postcard in any style to commemorate the artist and his archive. The programme also includes moments of reflection on the value of postal art, with contributions from artists, critics and organisers to foster a dialogue about the significance of this art form in contemporary society.

During the twentieth century, some artists began to look at everyday objects in a new and transformative way. Following the groundbreaking experiments of the avant-garde movements, letters, postcards, postmarks, postage stamps, and envelopes also became creative tools in the hands of artists. It was in this rich and dynamic context that Mail Art emerged: an international network of mail artists who use and transform postal objects and the postal system into tools of creative freedom, where ideas travel beyond the traditional circuits of art and the market, fostering a sense of community and shared expression.

“[...] Postal Art can be an extraordinary means of mass communication if conceived as an operation that can be divided into two clearly defined steps:

- as a relationship between one individual and another, or with a more or less restricted group of individuals.

- the public exhibition of a Mail Art operation can become a form of mass communication because it can be highly stimulating and educational even for a non-specialist audience.

Stimulating because it encourages interpersonal communication, and educational because of the exemplary value of its varied, simple and immediate technical methods [...]”. (extract from a text on Mail Art by Ruggero Maggi)

This exhibition features the work of many and diverse artists from various countries around the world. These countries include Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the USA. Each artist brings their own unique perspective and cultural background to the exhibition, enriching it with a wide array of artistic expressions and styles that reflect the beauty and complexity of our global community.

On 29 October 2026, which marks the closing day of the exhibition and the first anniversary of Ruggero’s passing, a "symbolic connection" will be established with the MAM Museum of Modern Art and Mail Art in Montecarotto (AN) through videos, catalogues, and documentation from previous editions of the M.A.D. MAIL ART DAY. The MAM will host the M.A.D. 2026 starting from 16 October onwards. Curated by Kappa and Stefano Schiavoni, the Director of the MAM Museum, this event aims to enhance and promote collaboration among institutions committed to preserving Mail Art and to continue the journey initiated by Ruggero towards the establishment of an Archive of Archives. The artworks will be contributed to the Tasso and Postal History Museum as part of the Ruggero Maggi Fund, titled "MAIL ART IN ACTION / FOR RUGGERO MAGGI".