the international memory bank

In the early 1970s, a group of artists rebelled against the traditional art distribution system, dominated by galleries, museums, and institutions, arguing that these gatekeepers filtered out creative expression from diverse voices. In defiance, they spent a decade compiling a humble paper directory of names, addresses, and photo requests. They called it the Image Bank, an early social network that enabled artists to exchange photos, art, letters, and objects via the postal service. It was simple, effective, and sparked lifelong friendships.

Today, we’re reviving the original ethos of the correspondence art movement in the form of a decentralized social exchange. In an age where digital landscapes are often fleeting and controlled by algorithms from big tech, we embrace a more permanent ethos: a platform whose content is owned and dictated by its creators, not the algorithms. It’s as simple as sending a photo from me to you.