Exhibition History
A record of the Art / Not Art – Useful / Useless mail art exhibition, held in Leeds, UK in the 1970s.
The Exhibition
Art / Not Art – Useful / Useless was an open-call international mail art exhibition organised by Mike Nulty and held in Leeds, UK in the 1970s. Artists from across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Australia and beyond were invited to submit works by post on the theme Art / Not Art – Useful / Useless. Over 190 works were received from artists in more than 20 countries. The exhibition itself has been classified as a Work of Art by Art Certification Services.
The Mail Art Network
Mail art — also known as postal art or correspondence art — emerged in the 1960s as a global network of artists exchanging works through the post, deliberately bypassing commercial galleries and institutions. By the 1970s it had become a truly international movement, connecting artists across political and geographic borders. This exhibition was a direct product of that network.
Countries Represented
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
France
Germany
Holland
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Poland
Polynesia
Spain
Switzerland
UK
Uruguay
USA
Yugoslavia
Browse the Archive
Explore the full collection of digitised works, organised by artist and country.
© Michael Nulty 2026. The Art / Not Art – Useful / Useless exhibition is classified as a Work of Art by Art Certification Services.