envelope manifesto

The envelope manifesto is a low tech (no tech) system of playfully and cheaply sharing information in public space

If you've found or posted an envelope:

document here

This is the envelope manifesto. It is your choice to follow or ignore any part of it, as you see fit.

1. You, who has found this envelope, are responsible for the envelope included inside of this one. You can include anything inside of it, you can add whatever you want to the outside. The only thing you must include inside of the envelope is another envelope, and a copy of this manifesto. seal it and leave it anywhere in public space.

2. The envelope is a node posted in public space for sharing information. It doesn't have to be serious information, or real information, it's just about public information.

3. A posted envelope is not an act of defiance or vandalism. It is meant to be temporary, harmless, and unintrusive to those who live around it.

make your own

what you will need

• Envelopes (the "self seal" ones are best because they don't require anyone to lick something they found on the street. Maybe that builds character though)

• Sticky tack (wall tack, usually used for hanging posters etc. on walls) blue or white

• index cards

• printed copies of the envelope manifesto (printing 4-6 per page of A4 paper and then cutting them up is good because it lets you make more of them and keeps them small enough to fit in a letter without lots of folding

• A self inking "DIY" stamp (optional). This one might be slightly more difficult to find. You're looking for the ones that have tiny rubber letters you can put in yourself to make the stamp say whatever you need it to say. I found one in an office supply store for 4 dollars but you may not be as lucky. I made mine say "open me"

instructions

1. Before you put anything inside, stamp an envelope with your custom stamp a bunch of times. Alternatively write on it with sharpie, paint on it, whatever you want. Probably good to indicate in some way that this is an envelope that is meant to be opened. Do this on the side where the envelope flap will close as this will make it clearer that the envelope is in fact an envelope and note just a rectangular piece of paper. Doing this before we fill it will make it much easier to write/stamp on, and you can do a bunch at once before filling if you want to be efficient.

2. fold an envelope in half twice so that it's small enough to fit in another envelope. In the stamped envelope, Put the folded envelope, a copy of the manifesto, and some sticky tack (I found about 3 squares is usually enough). Also add an extra item, maybe something you've created, a poem, a calling card, a trinket, a game, a thought written down, whatever you want. Seal the envelope

3. prepare the envelope with three squares of sticky tack on the side without the flap. You have to knead it and get it soft, then push it good one the envelope. Try to rough up the outward facing tack with your fingernail, a key, etc. This will make it stick to whatever surface better

4. In a public space, on the outside of a building, stick the envelope by placing it against the wall and pushing really hard from the front on each of the three tack balls. Maybe don't do this with a bunch of people and/or cops around, it might make people nervous. You can also simply drop the envelopes in public space

guidelines

where to post envelopes

• try to post in places that look like no one would mind having an envelope stuck there. Abandoned buildings/storefronts, warehouses, large apartment building corners, public buildings. I would recommend not posting on residential places like houses, places that feel like private property, police or government buildings, businesses, etc. This is "Guerrilla art", but the idea is not to be disruptive. When you're posting, try to consider whether or not where you're posting could be an annoyance or problem to the people that actually work and live in the area, and maybe have no interest in the work at all (which is fine).

Is this illegal?

• I have no idea. Probably? I think most unsolicited non permissioned public posting is probably illegal, but this just about the least destructive/vandalizing form of public posting. Sticky tack is perfect because it's cheap, sticks and stays really well, but also comes off very easily if you want it off which means that there's really no lasting damage.

• Also In relation to legality, please PLEASE don't do anything that hints, jokes at, or could be interpreted as threatening in or on an envelope. I'm starting this project in Europe so maybe its calmer here but I know for sure that in the good ole USA law enforcement will freak out about anything that smells mildly terroristy, and there definitely could be a serial killer/anthrax vibe associated with the idea of mysterious letters in public.

(also this is me here saying, I'm not responsible/liable for any stupid stuff you may do, do this at your own risk).

Politics

This here, from me, is not a political focused project. Of course if you want to post envelopes with Anarchist, Alt-right, or Hillary 2016 content, I, nor anyone else, will stop you. I will however give you my two cents about why I think this project works better when it's not overtly politically centered

the politics of public playfulness

For me this project is political in the sense that playful work in public space is itself a political statement. I think that this type of art is about slowly and subtly shifting perception about public spaces and what we want to/are allowed to do in them. Public communities of expression like graffiti and street art already have plenty of overt political activity, and I think they serve us quite well in that field already. In a space filled to the brim with ideologies and calls to action, gentle emerging statements of playfulness may be what our public landscapes are currently lacking.