Nonlocal Variable is a mail artist living in Oregon, USA. Among his many activities, which are documented on his website, was a call with the puzzling theme of “Nothing” in 2025.
Nothing is what we fear most. It is the root of our existential angst.
One can react with a mouthful of cynicism like Oscar Wilde:
“I love to talk about nothing. It’s the only thing I know anything about.”
One can try to overcome your fear with unabashed affirmation like Victor Hugo:
“All roads are blocked to a philosophy which reduces everything to the word ‘no.’ To ‘no’ there is only one answer and that is ‘yes.’ Nihilism has no substance. There is no such thing as nothingness, and zero does not exist. Everything is something. Nothing is nothing. Man lives more by affirmation than by bread.”
One can bring home to oneself—and to the reader—the absurdity of the term. Lewis Carroll did this admirably:
“Just look down the road and tell me if you can see either of them.”
“I see nobody on the road.” said Alice.
“I only wish I had such eyes,” the King remarked in a fretful tone. “To be able to see Nobody! And at such a distance too!”
Or you can find your own way to cope with it. That’s what these mail artists did …
The Contributors
Australia Helen Aryes • Austria Inge Hauser, Gerald Jatzek, Martina Nemecek, Thomas Rehner • Belgium Isabelle Dehennin, Sil Dubois, Luc Fierens, Wim Scheere, Mzia Valerian, The Wasted AngeL Lau Wilmel • Brazil Renata Danicck, Luisela Pelizza, Marcia Resenberger, Jussara Villas • Canada awyn, Carl Baker, Diane Bertrand, RF Cote, Susan Gold, Kerosene, Ginger Mason, Patty Milligan, Spike Spence Denmark Marina Salmaso • Finland John Gayer • Germany, Lutz Anders, MIl/ANTIPODF, Brigit Bächt, Hanna Bayer, Lutz Becke, Karola Derg, Brandstiler, Pirzia Cacciaguerra, Fidels Daughter, Jeanette Geissler, Flke Grundmann, Wolfgang Günther, Stefan Heuer, Uwe Höfig, Eberhard Janke, Hans Jürgen Küster, Stefanie Maschek, Susanne Mitterwieser, Jürgen Olbrich, Reinhard Ploetz, Sabine Rerny, Wolfgang Rostek, Sigrid Schöppe, Peter Schubert, Lars Schumacher Beate Senf-Hentsch, Horst Tress, Jürgen Völkert-Marten, Bernhard Zilling •Greece Katerina Nikoltsou • Hungary Peter Abajkovics, Ervin Zsubori • Italia Vittore Baroni, Lara Favaro, Roberto Formigoni, Marco Furia, Claudio Gavina, Corinna Mutzler, Massimo Medola, Virginia Milici Christiano Pallaro, Silvano Pertone, Luigino Solarito, Daniele Virgilio • Japan Keüchi Nakamura • Malaysia‹ Akif Nabihan • Netherlands Ever Arts, Bruno Bours, Ed Hanssen, Rod Summers, Marlon Tielernans • Portugal Conccicão Bento, Fauardo Cardoso, Fernando & Maria Jodo, Antonio Mousinho • Singapore Gloria Keh • Spain Sabela Baña, Ana Pobo Castañer, Pedro Gonzalves Garcia, Miguel Junencz, Antonia Mayol Castelló, Juan Petry, Daniel Rendor, Mikel Untzalla, Manuel Xio Blanco• France Eric Bensidon, Christiane Carré, Sicohs de la Casiniere, Michel Della Vedova, Hélène Legache, Virginie Lorean, Christophe Massé, Dr, Zack • Sweden Isidor Akerström, Thea Almroth, Lucia Fernandez Stenman, Julie Gavelin, Lovisa Kullberg • Switzerland Heini Gut, Rittiner & Gomez • Taiwan: William Mellett • Ukraine Lubomyr Tyinkiv • United Kingdom Keith Bates, John Cumming, Alan Turner • United States Darlene Altschul, Aurora Andrade, Larry Angelo, Jeff Bagato, Jason Bartlett, C, Mehri Bennell, Betsy Bott, Mary Campbell, FM Ciosan, Rende Cooley, Thom Courcelle, Bonnie Diva, Sticker Dude, Ariel EsquiveL Lord Fugue, Picasso Gaglione, Kay Garrett, Rebecca Gibson, Ed Giecek, Michael Goctz, Borderline Grafix, Diana Hale, Marina Ilandwerk, Faith Heisler, Boog Highberger, Holly-Johnson, Barbara Kapp, Shady Kirnsey, Kiyotei, Leslie Levenson, C Lovecran, Lubliner-Campbell-Wyndham, Fric Lunde, Malok, Willie Marlowe, Julie Materish, C A McEntee, Kathleen McHugh, Chepin Mora, Mike Mosher, Musicmaster, Neosho, Nobody, Wayne Owen, Gracie Park, Jocy Patrickt, Finily Penney, Pistol Pete, Melanie Reed, Jennifer Richl, Eralie Rivera, Jon Ronsen, Adam Rousopoulos, Fred Sack, Takako Sangoh, Cherie Savoie Tintary, Michael B. Schwartz, Shmuel, Jackson Junmons, Dand Stallord, Honoria Starbuck, Carol Stetser, Creative Thing, Kelby Thomas, Scolt Thomas, Tiffany, Tofa, Stephen Tomasko, John Tostado, Jude Weaver, Jennifer Weigel, Jokie Wilson, Reid Wood, Sally Wurlitzer, Michael Wynne, Dorothy Yuk.
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