Report on the Mail Art Networking Congress
with Ewa K. Ess and Andreas Kittel in Helsingborg, Sweden
about " Tile role of women in Mail Art "

Flowers for the Postman from Ewa and Andreas in Swedish national Blue & Yellow in front of Helsingborg's GPO at the foot of the old castle. Durin8 our congress we discussed the role of women in Mail Art, to which An8ela and Polish-born Ewa contributed personal experiences:

• If woman networkers don't malie their gender very clear, they get easily treated as men. Ewa once even as 'Iwan' in spite of her most female name (cf. Genesis).

• Male mail artists' ignorance is often felt to he as annoying as
  their arrogance.

• Mail art often reflects the classical role of women in Art, not
  only in repressive cultures Like in Japan.

• Of course they form an attractive minority in the network. Both report having had to censor sexist mail atl. contr5utions in spite of the basic democratic approach of it. NetM'orl;ing, however,
  healtllily cuts out some chauvinism.

• hlail Art couples seem to cooperate well, whether they met through the network like Al waste Paper., or the one introduced
  the other like the Laszios.

• women in the Network should receive human, normal
  reatment .