ARTSTAMP.DK

a Stalke Out Of Space project

Founded 2007 by Sam Jedig

Artstamp.dk: Rethinking Communication Through Art

Artstamp.dk, established in 2007 by artist and producer Sam Jedig, challenges the boundaries of traditional art and philately, offering a fresh perspective on stamps as a medium of communication and cultural critique. This alternative art project transforms stamps into miniature works of art, subverting their classical role as instruments of state propaganda and nationalist imagery. With Artstamp.dk, the stamp becomes both a canvas and a concept—questioning the frameworks of art, communication, and identity.

The Stamp as Art and Inquiry

Each artstamp is produced in small, limited editions, embracing the collectible allure of traditional philately while infusing it with an artistic twist. These works are accompanied by "first day covers", enhancing their rarity and cultural significance. While the motifs may echo the familiar visual language of classical stamps—idealized and patriotic representations—they deliberately introduce ambiguity, irony, and reinterpretation. This juxtaposition invites viewers to reconsider the narratives often embedded in stamps, historically employed as tools of political messaging and propaganda.

Artstamp.dk is more than a creative project; it’s an exploration of the stamp’s functional and symbolic power. When these artstamps are sent as part of global mail exchanges, they disrupt the norms of communication and collecting. Will philatelists recognize their artistic value? Can the art world embrace their conceptual depth? Or will they inspire a new category of collectors, intrigued by the fusion of postal tradition and contemporary art?

A Nod to Mail Art’s Legacy

Artstamp.dk is rooted in the broader tradition of mail art, an art movement that emerged in the 1960s as a subversive response to institutionalized art. Pioneered by artists like Ray Johnson and the Fluxus movement, mail art transformed postal systems into creative networks, democratizing art by emphasizing accessibility and participation. Envelopes, postcards, and stamps became vehicles for artistic exchange, blurring boundaries between sender and receiver, artist and audience.

By sending art through the post, mail artists questioned the commercialization of art and its confinement to galleries and museums. Instead, they celebrated art as communication—intimate, personal, and boundary-defying. Artstamp.dk carries forward this ethos, pushing the envelope (literally and metaphorically) of what stamps and mail can mean in a globalized world.

A Statement of Vision

Artstamp.dk is a dialogue between the personal and the universal, the traditional and the avant-garde. It interrogates the systems we take for granted—art markets, national borders, and communication technologies—by turning the humble stamp into a provocative medium of expression. As these miniature masterpieces traverse the globe, they ask fundamental questions:

• Can art exist beyond the confines of the gallery?
• How do symbols shape our sense of identity?
• What role does communication play in breaking down or reinforcing cultural barriers?

With every letter bearing an artstamp, Artstamp.dk invites the world to rediscover the profound potential of small things—to connect, to challenge, and to change.

Expanding the Vision: Artstamp.dk Guest Program

To broaden the project, Sam Jedig has launched the Artstamp.dk Guest Program, inviting other artists to create their own artstamp designs. This enriches the project and transforms Artstamp.dk into a dynamic platform where ideas converge. Each guest stamp fosters a dialogue between artists, furthering the project’s focus on communication, identity, and the reinterpretation of tradition.