"Mail Art Stigma 21"Patrocinio MIC - Amaci XXI - Foggia Biblioteca Magna Capitana fino al 16 Ottobre

 

"Mail Art Stigma 21"Patrocinio MIC - Amaci XXI Giornata del Contemporaneo. Foggia Polo Biblioteca Magna Capitana fino al 16 Ottobre. Giornata Mondiale della Salute Mentale, Giornata Europea sulla Depressione Eda Onlus.

# Mail Art Stigma: Twenty Years (+1) as a Model of Good Practice in Tackling Stigma

Mail Art Stigma is a project that tackles stigma through informal learning. It is both an exhibition and a global initiative in which art becomes a tool for inclusion. It embraces neurodivergence and makes “difference” visible through each person’s creativity. After twenty years, Mail Art Stigma continues to celebrate diversity and promote the value of art therapy as an educational and cultural practice.

When discussing mental health, stigma remains a barrier. The WHO reminds us that shame, fear of judgement and misinformation prevent people from seeking help. The *European Health Report 2024* highlights how discrimination hinders access to care. In Mail Art Stigma, art meets social engagement, following the philosophy of Stigmamente: meaningful, generative inclusion through non-formal approaches that build community. A powerful and relevant message, today as much as twenty years ago.

## Twenty-One Years of Art and Inclusion

In 2025, the Mail Art Stigma exhibition celebrated its twentieth anniversary. It began as a cultural project and a form of informal learning about the world of the mind. Mail Art Stigma represents good practice in tackling stigma and promoting human diversity.

Twenty-one years ago, its innovative strength within Italy’s efforts to tackle stigma lay in its use of mail art as a free, collective language capable of connecting distant worlds. Participants included people using Italian mental health services, students at all levels and international artists.

Today, its motivations remain the same: to offer a meeting place where art and society can engage in dialogue.

Freedom of expression, authenticity and the value of diversity: these are the principles that, then as now, enable the project to build community and challenge stigma naturally and through participation.

## From an International Call to a Network of Diversity

In 2005, 400 invitation letters were sent to mail artists around the world. Many were connected to the IUOMA (International Union of Mail Artists) network, while others were in contact with Tiziana Baracchi, one of Italy’s earliest mail artists. More than 250 artists from every continent responded, creating a worldwide dialogue about identity and the mind.

Conceived by Stigmamente, the project addressed a theme that was simple only on the surface: diversity of mind and body. It was developed by a varied network of interested institutions, including the University of Foggia, the Chair of Psychiatry led by Professor Antonello Bellomo, the Magna Capitana Library, and the Province of Foggia. The Foggia Independent Film Festival later established a competitive section for films, documentaries and short films devoted to stigma, thanks to the passion of its Artistic Director, Geppe Inserra.