Plinio Mesciulam. Mohammed Sheets

Centro di Communicazione Ristretta, Genova, 1977-1981. Rare collection of 49 Mohammed sheets, each 30 x 21 cm. Includes the annual yearbook from 1979 recording all Mohammed activities, and the reference book 'Plinio Mesciulam: The Mohammed System' edited by Viana Conti, published by De Ferrari, Genova 2001.

In 1976 Plinio Mesciulam (1926-2121) started the Mohammed Restricted Communication Center project, a worldwide communication circuit. The network action consisted of 12 persons sending Mohammed Centre a work on paper measuring 23 x 21 cm, with a list of 12 recipients. Mesciulam then assigned a unit number, made colour copies at the Xerox Center in Bologna, and sent the sheets to the 12 'member cells' indicated. With his system he extended the concept of 'add and pass' first begun by Ray Johnson. Mohammed kept the original and one copy for his archive, one copy was reserved for Jean Brown. Between 1977 and 1981 around 1300 Mohammed 'unitas' were launched, now preserved at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Among the participants were noted mail artists as well as public figures or institutions such as Andy Warhol, Pope Paul VI, William Burroughs and the Nancy Sinatra Fan Club. The gigantic project was carefully registered by Mesciulam himself in small yearbooks, listing all sheets and participants. Mohammed Unities in this lot include: Plinio Mesciulam (98, 294), Albrecht D. (250), Robin Crozier (276), Tim Mancusi (379, 752, 973), Adriano Spatola (296), Betty Danon (488), Carioca (522, 832, 971, 1067, 1191), Charles Dreyfus (535), Buster Cleveland (553), Peter Below (592, 647, 930, 960, 1228), Tomaso Binga (639), Rod Summers (722), Pawel Petasz (750), Rolf Staeck (757), Irene Dogmatic (788), Anna Banana (793, 839), Wulle Konsumentkunst (820), E.A. Higgins III (824, 933, 1128), Mohammed (825), John Held (842, 936, 1074), Opal L. Nations (854, 1097, 1192), Ken Friedman (905), David Greenberger (909), Robert Rockola (932, 1061), Drummond-Milne (993), Ken Brown (1048), G. Fontana (1051), Ginny Lloyd (1088, 1093), Fred Truck (1276). Three sheets contain small original collages. Extremely rare collection in excellent condition. (total 51)