I Got Up

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• yoshi Hill asked

  Hello,
  
  To whom was this On Kawara postcard mailed? Thanks for your help! Much appreciated.
  
  Best,
  Yoshi

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hello Yoshi,
  
  This postcard is part of On Kawara’s 'I Got Up' series, which he began in 1968. As part of this conceptual artwork, Kawara sent postcards every morning to two different friends or colleagues around the world. Each card follows a strict format: it is stamped with the date, the artist’s address, the recipient’s address, and the phrase “I got up at” followed by the exact time he rose that day.
  
  The front of each postcard features an image of a tourist attraction from the city where Kawara was staying at the time. Through this consistent, methodical act, the artist documented his daily routine in a standardized visual and textual form.
  
  The Dutch artist Michaël Snel Sesteer (1935–1989) received these postcards daily from Kawara between 26 January and 3 April 1978. This card is one of them. The other 67 postcards sent to Sesteer are also part of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen’s collection. They were acquired through Jeroen Snel, the artist’s nephew.
  
  Kind regards,
  Manus