Cahoots Catalogue

October, 2020 was a time of nervous re-thinking. A vaccine was not yet available in Ireland. A lockdown was.

Having Just come off producing an exhibition of international mail art, Not Over Yet was suddenly in the throes of how to proceed. As a group of multi-disciplinary artists living in the west of Ireland and the south of Tasmania, they pondered how to reflect both its name and core mission.

Earlier that year, drawn to the challenges to and potentials of creativity in the face of environmental crisis, the group was formed to explore options and strategies. Plans were made for public performances, group exhibitions, workshops, and other events meant to engage the community in shared spaces. These projects would now have to be delayed indefinitely or altered dramatically if not cancelled outright. And there was no end to the growing pandemic in sight.

As a way to continue engagement with each other, share ideas and generate work, it was decided to start a new project— equal parts mail art, exquisite corpse, diary, experiment, chain letter, and therapy.

Each member was sent an A4-sized sheet of thick paper in plain brown envelope. Instruction was simple: add something to it, send it to another member. There was no time limit, no preferred mediums or subject matter. It would be fun, and a way to stay connected and encouraged during those long days of quarantine.

While N.O.Y. began with a focus on art and environment, it quickly became clear that Coronavirus was now a primary part of that environment. And the environment had suddenly taken on a internalised aspect, as well. What might be unwittingly ingested from the outside and how might it mutate and expand? It seemed inevitable that living our lives would be transformed, but how and to what extent lay ahead.

So off they went, those dozen Cahoots. Around the world and up the road. Across oceans and continents, pastures and woods and down to little houses by the bay. Taking whatever time they took.

And time was what there was plenty of.

After twelve months, the dozen Cahoots were complete, and with that, a new “how to proceed ” was born. As with everything else, N.O.Y. itself has changed, yet the entral challenge remains: How do we connect? How do we stay afloat? How can we help?