What is the collection?
The theme of my collection centers around epistolary communication, specifically the exchange of messages between two individuals or entities. Throughout history, people have heavily relied on epistolary writing as a means of communication. Even in the digital age, text messages and emails still adhere to the traditional epistolary format. My collection encompasses a wide range of mediums, from traditional correspondences like handwritten letters and postcards to unconventional forms such as art installations and videos. More specifically, it exclusively deals with epistolary media in “unusual” formats that involve mutations of contents, recipients, or media. In an effort to push the boundaries of traditional letters and postcards, I explore various means and formats for communication, ranging in sizes, information density, and target audiences. This collection not only considers epistolary communication as a medium, that is “never only itself but a stand-in for the person who sent it”, but also an active voice that expresses meaning and generates impacts. Through the collection of epistolary media, my aim is to explore the evolution and diversification of these forms of communication, and how the fusion of media in traditional letters influences the information being expressed.
What is it for?
This is the final project for an undergraduate Media Studies class CIMS 2954 Collecting Media at University of Pennsylvania. In the class, we took a deep look at a diverse range of media collections, ranging from digital media such as images, videos and audios, to objects in the natural world. As an end of the semester project, we compile our personal media collections! If interested, you can reference the course website here!
What issue does it address?
Upon closer examination of the epistolary collection, I've identified three key factors that constitute traditional communication: the sender, the receiver, and the content. However, as communication mediums have expanded, these three elements have become more complex and nuanced. Drawing from the items in my collection, I aim to dissect this problem into three parts, each analyzing the changes within one factor in response to the introduction of multimedia epistolary communication.
Who's communicating?
The role of the narrator is often emphasized when analyzing letters. In most epistolary communications, there is a specific sender whose identity forms the basis for the content. For instance, in Game of Thrones, epistolary forms are utilized to "reinforce and amplify hegemonic masculine identity." However, particularly in the digital age where identities can be easily obscured or fabricated, the issue of unreliable narrators becomes more pronounced. For example, in the Instagram performance project "Excellences & Perfections" by Amalia Ulman, the epistolary form of a diary is used to create a fictional identity, challenging the concept of unreliable self-reporting in the social-media age.
Who's receiving?
Open letters, forged letters, letters to dead or unreal addressees are also included as parts of the collection. Rather than exchanging information with a specific individual or entity, the identities of the recipients sometimes remain obscure. This flexibility in recipient identity subtly alters the nature of the letter, shifting its focus to authentic self-expression rather than communicating with specific audiences. Take, for example, the Letters to the Future project, where senders etched their messages onto plastic bags resistant to biodegradation. These poems, diaries, and collages were compiled into a book of letters intended for future generations who discover it after hundreds of years.
What's being expressed and how is it expressed?
The collection goes beyond examining the connection between the letter and written language. Rather, it focuses on the diverse array of media utilized. In addition to written correspondence, the emergence of "audio letters," such as voicemails, and "video letters," like films crafted by distant loved ones, represents more efficient and immersive forms of information exchange increasingly prevalent in daily communication. However, what truly captivates is the utilization of unconventional media in epistolary communication: artists like Rima Day employ threads as written words to construct letters and books, while information artist Giorgia Lupi sends postcards filled with data visualization patterns to her pen pal. Depending on the materials employed, these letters are imbued with varying information and cater to diverse audiences.