alsoarty Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 I was wondering how ATC’s were started. So I went to the web. Ver interesting info! Artist trading cards (ATCs) is a conceptual art project initiated by the Swiss artist M. Vänçi Stirnemann in 1997. He called it a Collaborative Cultural Performance. Artist trading cards are 21⁄2 inches (64 mm × 89 mm) in size, the same format as modern trading cards (hockey cards or baseball cards). They are self-made unique works or small series, signed and dated on the reverse by the artist/producer, exchanged and collected by the people who participate in the collaborative performance. In 1996, Stirnemann began making small artworks the size of commercial trading cards. An exhibition of 1200 of Stirnemann's cards ran at his second-hand bookshop and gallery INK.art&text in Zurich, Switzerland between 23 April and 31 May 1997. The exhibition ended with a trading session. The ATC project was intended to allow people from different backgrounds to participate in an ongoing art project, which was not part of the art market. Selling or buying ATCs clearly contradicts the initial idea. Instead, people would meet at trading sessions and exchange their art work in a democratic face to face situation. Anybody can participate in the project and all techniques are allowed. ATCs are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc.), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc.), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc.), or even metals, fiber, wax and other materials. A few weeks after the first ATC exhibition and trading session in Zurich, the Canadian artist Don Mabie adopted the idea and showed artist trading cards at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In September 1997, a trading session was organized at the New Gallery in Calgary. Today, there are regular trading sessions in more than 30 cities in Europe, Canada, the US and Australia. The Zurich and Calgary trading sessions are still held on a monthly basis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie Roberts Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 How interesting, Andrea! I had heard of trading cards but I always thought they were sports-related. Thanks for doing all that research! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenrou Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 An artist friend of mine regularly submits to the Calgary and mail art group. He has been sending copies of his newsletter to me since Wetcanvas days in the 1990's. He turns them seasonally into postcards on thick card stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariJ Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 9 hours ago, jenrou said: An artist friend of mine regularly submits to the Calgary and mail art group. He has been sending copies of his newsletter to me since Wetcanvas days in the 1990's. He turns them seasonally into postcards on thick card stock. Interesting Andrea and so cool Jean, they must be so pretty! I have a book on ATC’s and remember that there are 2 rules: the cards must be 2.5 x 3.5 inches and they MUST be traded free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatlady Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 I thought it was just a SG thing!!! That is very interesting. Leave it to you go to check it out. Thanks for sharing all that info with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRS Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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