THE SHOPPING TROLLEY GALLERY welcomes 

CLEMENTE PADIN 

to the Tate Modern

 
Commemorative postage stamp by the STG-UK

 

 

 

 

On February 26 the Tate Modern Gallery, London, was honoured by a visit from Clemente Padin, the South American poet, performer and mail artist, who surely needs no introduction from me. Clemente came to Wales invited by his friend the welsh artist Andre Stitt to carry out a performance at his installation artspace, Trace.

While waiting for our guest to arrive Peter Netmail opened his bag to extract some mail art to give me and I saw a small handheld vacuum cleaner; I thought that he carries it wherever he goes to make sure of the hygiene of his surroundings and was terribly impressed by this display of Teutonic cleanliness. Soon a friendly bunch of mail artists got together, exchanging examples of their art. It was great to meet some for the first time after years of corresponding and to see again old faces.

From left to right Julia Tant, Marisol Cavia, myself, Peter Küsterman (Peter Netmail), Roberto Scala, Geert De Decker (Sztuka Fabryka) and Guido Vermeulen are at the back; Don Jarvis (Dawn Redwood), Clemente Padin and Andre Stitt are in the front row. Photo by Alan Turner

 Clemente with Peter, Martha and Geert
  
Clemente, Dawn and Alan Dawn. Peter, Alan and Clemente SBG and skirt designed by Dawn
  The Performance- Photos by Guido Vermeulen

Eventually we all went to the cafeteria and there, under the guidance of Peter and with surgical masks, rubber gloves and the afore mentioned vacuum cleaner, we performed the 'disinfection' of Clemente, who could have carried anthrax spores, couldn't he?
Clemente took it all in his stride showing great sense of humor. Not so the officials of the Tate, who were somewhat apprehensive of our actions and told us, very politely I must say, that in future if we wanted to do something similar we should ask for permission in advance. Somehow, I doubt if we would have got their blessing although I did not see any sinister plot in their reaction but then I am une petite bourgeoise, caramba! My good friend Alan's somewhat different version of the events follows, for you to judge.

UNCURATED ART FORBIDDEN

The 26th was a great get together and so good, after many years exchanging mail art, to meet Clemente in person. It was also good to meet old friends and for the first time Erik the Viking, Roberto Scala Geert de Deker and Andre Stitt. Many thanks to Martha Aitchison for organising the meeting. Congratulation to Peter Netmail for his drole and truly anarchistic performance illicitly staged within the hallowed environs of the Tate Modern 4th floor cafeteria. Much to our joy but to the chagrin of officialdom, to late to stop it. UNCURATED ART FORBIDDEN! On my next visit to the Tate I expect to see a sign saying; NO ART ALLOWED- NO ARTISTS ALLOWED. On my way back to the hills of Wales I stopped off in Cardiff to attend Clemente's very moving performance at the Trace Gallery owned by Andre Stitt. All very memorable. 

Alan Turner

Clemente returned that day to Wales and after spending a few days there he went to Spain and at his return I picked him up at one of London's airports to take him to another for his flight back to Uruguay. As there was a gap of several hours we went for lunch to the Esperanza, the cafe where we put up Mail Art displays and where by sheer chance we met Julia, then we visited a few of the London landmarks. Clemente is amazing; happy, warm and direct, I only had met him through his work and emails and always thought he was nice enough but he turned out to be even more so. Singing tangos while walking in the streets of London, we had a great time. 

 

                                                                                                              Clemente at the Cafe Esperanza and doing the sights in  London

 

Have mail art, will travel: 

The latest from The Shopping Trolley Gallery

2004 was the year that Patti Bristow, a very enthusiastic artist from San Francisco Bay, USA, joined the Mail Art community also with a shopping trolley gallery. Very thoughtfully Patti asked me if I minded and of course I not only do not mind but I am delighted, nothing better to warm the heart than the vision of yet another Shopping Trolley carrying Mail Art. We two met in July when Patti came to visit London and, after performing an Obscure Action for Vittorio Baroni in Camberwell Green, we went to the Esperanza Cafe for a chat over our coffees and Shopping Bag Galleries, surrounded by Hope postcards. 
                          

The new STG sport

The Second International Art Show S.I.S.T.A.S. which if you remember was launched at the Carnegie Library, Camberwell, on January 6, 2001, finished its rounds in December 2003 and the documentation has been sent early in 2004. Now the STG displays a Group Show of artwork sent to me by several networking artists. I have now two trolleys, My original trolley which rather resembles a SUV, or 4x4, as these monsters are called here, which I still use for seriously heavy shopping. The second one, more of a sports model and much easier to carry on buses and trains, boldly goes where no shopping trolley has gone before.

One place it goes is the Cafe Esperanza where we did happily collect a fantastic series of postcards on the theme of Hope. 

 

 

A PEACH FOR PEACE:

                                               

On an evening in September, in the fishing village of Collioure in France, and with the aid of my friend Janine, I planted a peach seed across the road from Le Mareyeur her café in the Avenue General De Gaulle. Seven days earlier the inside of the peach I was eating parted to show a sprouting kernel. This day was the eleventh of the month. Not knowing what to do with it, I kept it in water and later decided to plant it in the name of Peace as a Field Study Emanation. Janine has promised to look after it.

The peach will hopefully grow, protected by the stone wall of the Protestant Church which is a reminder of other troubled times in this area when the Cathars suffered persecution for their views.

 

 

ESPERANZA - HOPE

The walls of the Café Esperanza are covered with postcards, it is extraordinary the many different and original ways that Mail Artists have found to express Hope. To the Mail Art show are added the cards put up by the patrons, both adults and children who join in the show with pleasure. I suspect the clients take home some of the postcards, which is flattering, and there is always some wall space free so I have decided to go on with the project. Keep sending me the Hope postcards and I will send documentation as a colour A4 poster every 20 entries.

And don't forget that at the Esperanza Café in 16a Coldharbour Lane, London , SE5 9PR, there is good food, good wine, good value and a warm welcome waiting for you. If you decide to pop in let me know in advance, I would like to meet you there, please contact me.

            
        The owner, Mr Erdogan, with friends
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