(TELE)COMMUNICATION ART
(e)mail-art/net-work/fax/phone/radio
Istvan Kantor was introduced to mail-art in 1976 by american/canadian communication artist David Zack. Kantor immediately became fascinated by this open form and invaded the mail-art network with his action based ideas, among them the Monty Cantsin open-pop star project, Neoism, Blood Campaign, etc. He organized many mail-art shows from among them "BRAIN IN THE MAIL"(1979) is perhaps the best known. A catalog of this exhibition, with introductions by Istvan Kantor and David Zack, is still available from Kantor. The exhibition itself was also conserved in Kantor's archives. Mail-art and networking were essential for the spreading of Neoism throughout the 80s. The early Neoism was an outgrow of the mail-art network involving such active mail-art contributors as David Zack, dr Ackerman, Niels Lomholt, Vittore Baroni, Balint Szombathy, tENTATIVELY a cONVENIENCE, the Krononauts, Arthur Berkhoff, Peter Below, Peter Horobin, R.U. Sevol, TTP, Jean-Luc Bonspiel, etc.
From printed media to radio to computers via television, telephone or graffiti, Kantor used all means of communication to spread the idea of Neoism. It's important to mention the participation of Neoist conspirator Boris Wanowitch, head of Computer Graphics Conspiracy, who joined Kantor in his propaganda mission in 1981.
Kantor also initiated the apartment festival concept in 1980 in Montreal that immediately became popular among network members and many festivals were organized since in Toronto, Baltimore, New York, Berlin, Tepotzlan, London, Budapest, Novi Sad, Bergamo and elsewhere. The next Neoist apartment festival will take place in several cities in Australia, in 2000.