Dispatch - Sophisticated fortune cookies

Epic Culture Magazine, 1998. Justine Meagher

Kim Lieberman is in a continual posting frenzy with herself, her past, her psychological state and her travel itinerary. The process with which she works is controlled by the activity of the postal system, country of destination, alternative cultures, return destination and final intent.

A detailed account of Lieberman's philosophy is distributed amongst sealed envelopes addressed Post Restante (main post office), then sent off to various cities with a return address. The belief that one has direct influence upon one's past by sending letters back to places visited is the motivating force behind Lieberman's "works in progress". Not having assurance of return is "acknowledging that you aren't in control, it's about letting go".

"Home" coming marks the transformation, "exploring what it means not to pin down life, but to imitate it, and in so doing understand that it is transient." Some envelopes have returned, but the activity is far from over. Still sealed and covered in the characteristic marks of governmental offices (Brazil - bold, strong, passionate, red stamp marks; America - two pointing hands saying return to sender, neatly stamped), envelopes slowly return. People are not ordinarily involved in making art become unwittingly part of the process. Dispatching letters worldwide sets up an interaction between Lieberman and earth, the result, she believes, is a psychological transformation, which occurs within herself.

During September last year Kim Lieberman filled an entire gallery space (Mark Coetzee Fine Art, Cape Town) with replicas of returned envelopes in a show called Pushing the Envelope. The sealed letters are about the potential of what can be, the possibilities of an unopened letter being endless, the contents of which may never be revealed.

An open invitation was extended to the general public to write down their intimate secrets and place them inside an impenetrable container, thus furthering the concept of boundlessness.

In another show called Erotic Miniatures later last year, Kim exhibited a piece where she sent off 50 small white envelopes with an erotic word written inside each one. R1.00 stamps (feminine birds) were placed onto 25 envelopes, 90c stamps (penguins about to jump into water) and 10c stamps (tortoises) were placed onto the rest. The images on the stamps allude to the sentiment "before you rush go slow," men and sexuality; "it's about taking your time". 25 were sent from a feminine looking post office, 25 sent from a masculine looking one.

Drawing in worldwide contribution/participation Kim Lieberman seeks routes into her own consciousness. She believes that art is a vehicle of self exploration, "It's an activity you do with no idea of the outcome, a transformation of ideas". Through process, does self and art begin?