Photomontage by Dan Jones

A Letter to the Group of Czech and Slovak Surrealists On the Occasion of the International Surrealist Exhibition, Prague, Spring '99

Greetings from the International Bureau of Recordist Investigation! Recently we came across some information (on J. Karl Bogartte's website) about your proposed International Surrealist exhibition. We would love to participate in this event in some way but time constraints will likely prevent us from any major contributions (particularly since your deadline is April 15th and today happens to be April 14th!). Also we realize there wasn't exactly an open call for submissions and therefore, we weren't invited. Nevertheless, we wish you all the best and hope that the exhibition and accompanying meetings and festivities are a great success!

It is of course questionable whether there would be a place for Recordist work in a Surrealist exhibition. Recordism has developed, since its inception in 1984, quite independant of any contact with or awareness of modern Surrealism and, as such, may be a somewhat different creature. Our influences and chief sources of inspiration lie in the works and ideas of early Surrealism (and even Dada). We feel that chance, automatism, humour and dreams are still today highly effective and

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