vol 2 / nr 8 / Esslingen, Germany

Tatjana found the print during a trip to Leipzig, Germany, with her boyfriend and another mate. They visited the St. Thomas Church when they noticed the envelope which was lying there on a bench. Tatjana's first thought was that the letter be some religious campaign or anything like it, but yet she picked it up.  

When I realized this was an art project and saw the atmospheric print, I was really, really happy and first couldn't believe it, because I love to deal with art and doing it myself, too. My two friends also were entertained about the fact that I of all people found this print. This coincidence exhilarated me very much and was one of the things which made our trip to Leipzig really special.

vol 2 / nr 82 / Munich, Germany

Maraike wrote to me, that there are often some old stuff - like old vessels or books - on their staircase, that you can take with you. But this one time there was an envelope, which Maraike collected and opened.

Seitdem hängt es über meinem Bett, es gefällt mir sehr gut und passt auch hervorragend zu den Aktzeichnungen und dem Alice im Wunderland-Print, der dort schon hängt.

vol 1 / nr 35 / Preston, England

Helen came across the Random Prints vol. 1 envelope whilst her husband and she were spending their honeymoon in Italy in 2010: We were admiring the amazing view of Florence offered by Piazzale Michelangelo. I absolutely adore the romaticism of finding an envelope addressed to "you, whoever you are", but my husband was rather suspicious. Opposites attract!

Helen is a big fan of exploring new cities and always says that you can discover so much by just wandering around the streets and getting lost in the atmosphere and architecture. Just look what we discovered this time! Thanks so much for humouring this old romantic.

vol 2 / nr 23 / Zurich, Switzerland

Her sister had found two of these letters (which really weren't very close to each other) and decided to bring another of these to her sister as a wedding gift (please view vol 2 / nr 90 / Solothurn, Switzerland). So, Isabelle got this print as her wedding gift "from unknown".

Es war spannend ein Geschenk zur Hochzeit von unbekannt zu erhalten.

vol 2 / nr 72 / Uppsala, Sweden

Ann-Marie found the print in Uppsala, Sweden and she will keep it to herself. The woman has a secret, and it is safe here in Uppsala, she tells. - I like trees and perhaps, some day I will tell them my secret...

vol 2 / nr 53 / Wetzikon, Zurich, Switzerland

Proshat found the envelope on her first holiday, when she was visiting Basel.It was really surprising because I love painting and I do oil painting just for hobby, she wrote to me. Now the picture hangs on the wall in front of her desk - I believe it brings me inspiration.

vol 2 / nr 30 or 33 / somewhere in Germany?

Daniel found the artwork while he was in a journey in Central-Switzerland and visite the Museum of Art in Luzern. He will frame the picture. He wrote me his interpretation of the work: It seems that the whispering tree tells us a story. It has no eyes, but already has a lot of experiences of its ambient. That's also an individual story. But I wonder is it happy or ... We will find perhaps the essence each one itself while regarding the blind tree.

vol 2 / nr 29 / Woodbridge, New Jersey, USA

Jack was visiting Europe for the first time and found the print while his class was in Lucerne. He told me that his heart dropped when he found the envelope: I am going into college to pursue a fashion career. The very idea of traveling around Europe with art is very inspiring, and I hope to one day have a similar journey of my own. 

Lucerne was my least favorite part of the trip, but gave me the best story.

Stories of vol.2

All the prints are now left around Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. I've already got responses from people with some beautiful stories and I will update stories to this blog in the beginning of August. I will do some forgering and change storydates to match the exact date and time when I received the email originally  (just like I have done with last year's project).

Right now you can view the listing of some new homes of the prints in the side panel of this blog, right after the headline RANDOM PRINTS VOL. 2 (2011).

vol 2 / nr 50 / Montreal, Canada

Benoit wrote me that finding the print was a wonderful surprise: I was traveling alone and felt sort of lonely so the print gave a connection - with you and with the character of the print; and I enjoyed it. Benoit will frame the print and it will be part of his "Travel Wall of Honor" -  a wall where he will display the favorite images of his numerous trips - in his new apartment in Downtown Montreal, Canada.

vol 2 / nr 66 / Mt. Vernon, Maine, USA

Julie and her son, assistant curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Basel, were waiting for someone to show up for a meeting at the museum shop, when his son found the envelope in a book. He gave it to me to take home and respond. I think that happened when I mentioned I liked the print.

vol 2 / nr 46 / Basel, Switzerland

Vanessa found the envelope when she was working in the restaurant. She was surprised when she found it and wasn't sure what to expect when she opened it.

I like the idea of bringing art closer to people by this way.

vol 2 / nr 65 / Hamburg, Germany

Torben found the print by one Tchibo cafe's table in townhall square in Hamburg. When Torben wrote the letter, the print was still waiting on shelf, but he is planning to hang it in their home in Hamburg.

Schoene und nette idee.

vol 2 / nr 70 / Essen, Germany

Steven and Angelika visited the Deichtor hallen and the the house of photography in Hamburg on the 7^th of July 2011. They went to the book shop there and found the envelope on one of the book tables. They were surprised and first didn't know if they could take it or not - and then soon decided to take it. They waited opening the envelope until they got to their car: It was such a great feeling, it made us feel very special.

Angelika wrote to me that she drove home to her hometown Essen: I gave the picture to my dad who is a painter himself and he loved the thought of sending paintings around the world.

vol 2 / nr 60 / Hamburg, Germany

Annette found the print in the lockers in the Bucerius Kunstforum, Hamburg, while she was going to see J. M. W. Turner exhibition. She wants to keep the print, because she really likes it.

I am glad to be part of this art project and appreciate your idea.

vol 2 / nr 38 / Zürich, Switzerland

I got an anonymous email about one found print, nr 38, which was found in Zürich, Switzerland. The person writes that he/she thinks that the idea is witty but also wonderful one.  The print is now hanging next to his/her desk and is motivation and inspiration for his/her own work.

Hör nicht auf gestalterisch tätig zu sein, denn die welt braucht schöne seiten.

vol 2 / nr 40 / Bern, Switzerland

Elisa found the letter from the château de Gruyère: Cette enveloppe abandonné sur un banc dans une des chambre du château m'a interpellé et j'ai trouvé l'idée de laisser ses tirage partout en Europe vraiment amusante. J'ai donc décidé de l'emporter avec moi à Berne pour le faire voyagé;)

vol 2 / nr 54 / Basel, Switzerland

Salome got a print from her good friend, who found it at our job`s place  in a cafe, and he decided to give the envelope for Salome as a present: And so here I am, writing this little message to a stranger, who, in a strange way, isn`t that unknow to me anymore.

vol 2 / nr 48 / Thun, Switzerland

Verena's feedback was so nice to receive: Dein Projekt ist G E N I A L ! She had found the print in Luzern and took it with her to Thun, another town in Switzerland. She says how excited she is about finding this print. She would like to have the print herself, but the idea of giving pleased her so much, that she has given the artwork forward!

vol 2 / nr 90 / Solothurn, Switzerland

Gabriela found a Random Print letter from the Kunsthaus Zürich phone booth, and she tells me that she was first a bit unsure if she should take it - but: Meine Neugierde war dann doch grösser und ich war sehr überrascht und freute mich über das Bild. Now the image is in her bedroom.

Strangely enough, about one hour later, Gabriela found also another letter! In this point I should remind that there is only 90 letters altogether, and I left only about 5 or 6 to Zurich - and to very different places! But she did found another one in the front of DadaHaus. Gabriela was on her way to her sister's wedding and she took the letter there as a present from someone unknown!

vol 2 / nr 20 / Munich, Germany

Mirjam was the first who replied to the Random Prints project this year, and her story made my rainy day in Munich to turn gold. She told me that she found the letter when she was at her lunch break from work, going to get something to eat. She got into the bus where she found the print. This is how she tells the story: Normally I always get in the front of the bus but today I went straight to the back (although there were many free chairs everywhere) and sat down at a place wherer I normally never sit. And right next to me I saw a white envelope: "to you, whoever you are". I was very, very curious and put my hand on the letter to open it when I heard a voice next to me: "You are not allowed to open it, this is private!" It was the voice of a young lady and she sounded quiete angry. Just for one second I was hesitating but then I replied: "This is for everybody, see what's written on it." She went on trying to convince me that I shouldn't open it but I didn't listen. I had the feeling that I had to open it.

When Mirjam looked inside, she said she felt happy of such a great coincidence - even though she doesn't believe in "coincidences". Mirjam tells me she loves art, so finding the message (or did it find me? she asks) touches her deeply. She will keep it for herself as "a good omen".

And one more thing, Miriam wanted to say: Along with your envelope there came a message to me: "Dont't listen to other people. Do what you feel and you will find a treasure."

Random Prints vol. 2

The Essence of Whispering Tree.

Random Prints vol. 2 has started! I'll leave my 90 signed and numbered prints around Europe in June and July 2011 and I hope that people would "register" them like with the prints vol. 1 project - which went better than I had expected! I'll leave first prints today in Berlin - hopefully people will find them!

vol 1 / nr 33 / Auckland, New Zealand

Marcus wrote me about how he found the print in Florence, near Duomo while he waited his partner Kate to finish shoe shopping. The print became part of their roadtrip, as they were traveling through Italy in a Fiat500 on their way home to New Zealand from London. The story goes on: We temporarily lost the print in our packing and have today rediscovered this piece of art amongst other travel documents. It is now with the local picture framing shop and will hang in our living room so we can share your great story and idea with friends and family.

vol 1 / nr 28 / Applecross, Scotland

This was the only print that I gave away to a certain person! I was going to the Florence train station when I passed some bagpipe player outside. I didn't have any coins - so I dropped in one of the prints. As Ruairidh wrote the story: This print was dropped into my case as I was playing the bagpipes in front of Florence train station. It now hangs on my wall, in a small fishing village, in the west coast of Scotland. I also travelled around Europe last summer, playing the bagpipes to pay my way. [...] Shortly after you gave me the print I was escorted off the premises by the Italian police, an experience I have become used to.

vol 1 / nr 88 / Paris, France

Gaelle from Paris found the envelope in Lucca in September. She is keeping the print herself, but she has also told about it to all her friends and they have had a small "competition" on where the print should end to...