Integrated art-project.

2. We – in conjunction with the Museum Angewandte Kunst*
in Frankfurt / Main – are helping to create a surprising,
lively and international collection which will move,
touch and amuse the viewer and also arouse curiosity
towards the people portrayed in the drawings.
We want people to view and experience this collection in
exhibitions, in book form, as a blog and through other means
that we have not even thought of yet.
*The Museum Angewandte Kunst is devoted to applied art as well
as the creation of craft industry, design, fashion, book art, graphics,
architecture, lifestyles and performance.
‘Selfme’ is an art project which is created by Many.
It is a tongue in cheek answer to the incredible flood of
smartphone selfies.
‘Selfme’ is similar to a selfie as it captures the
moment like a photograph does
but it is a self-portrait that has been drawn.
It is not ‘one of a million of others’
but ‘the one in a million’.

3. This is how it works (1)
The idea is to create a collection of drawn ‘selfies’.
Drawn. With pencil, felt-tip pen, ball point pen, … so
that everyone who wants to participate can do so using
the simplest of means.
So that you can be spontaneous and won’t be guided by
drawing techniques or materials.
Every style is fine – thick or thin lines, lots of lines or only
a few, just scribbles or the use of a ruler.
Actually, it should not take much longer than it would take
to take a selfie with a mobile phone. But it is entirely up to
you. There are no rules! :-)
Please draw on a sheet of paper which is:
Not smaller than DIN A 5 / about 21 x 15 cm
Not bigger than DIN A 4 / about 30 x 21 cm
Please note your name, job (or your occupation, your calling
in life or whatever you would like to call it) and the place at
which you are currently living on the back of the drawing.
Please write legibly. Of course, if you like, you can also
sign the front of your self-portrait.
Well known and not so well known people from all over the
world will create more or less professional looking but always
very personal self-portraits: woman and man, young and old,
artist, athlete, cook, post office clerk, film director, prisoner,
actor, blue collar worker or someone who knows how to
enjoy life, …
It is a project that connects all sorts of different people –
viewer and artist. Both are united in their interest in other
people – as well as in their desire to think about themselves.
The idea of this project is not to teach or instruct, least of all
does it want to accuse.
Rather, we want to stimulate people to again become inte-
rested in and curious about themselves and others. Our aim
is to create an example of tolerance among people. We want
it to be fun, start a debate what art is or isn’t and we would
like to encourage everyone to participate and draw their own
self-portrait.

4. And this is how it works (2)
You can add even more life to your drawing if you reveal
some more details about your life! It is a bit like adding
more pieces to a puzzle.
This way, the viewer might get closer to the artist of the
self-portrait as a human being, might use their imagina-
tion and create their own idea of the artist.
Please put any details or ‘pieces of the puzzle’
about your life on a separate sheet of paper and mark it
with your full name as it will be fixed in a separate space
in the exhibition or publication.
What kind of details or ‘pieces of the puzzle’?
Stating your age would be good. Obviously, you can give
an approximate age :-) One of the participants in our
project is a 94 year old man from Spain. We feel that it
considerably enriches the story the viewers create about
the artist if their age is known.
Give other ‘pieces of the puzzle’ just as you like.
For example, a character trait of yours, a photo, something
you’re attached to, your favourite colour, your marital
status, something you believe in, a secret fact about you
which could be a simple fact or an emotion. It suffices to
briefly list or describe it. But only if you feel like it.

5. We’re looking forward
to every Selfme.
The creators of this ‘Selfme’ project are:
Sabine and Volker Schrader. Both of us have studied design.
We have been married for 25 years.
We both love art, people and pleasant conversations.
And peace, for God’s sake!
*This isn’t an advertising campaign.
This is a purely personal initiative. ‘Selfme’ is not connec-
ted in any way with the commercial photographical offers
of the internet or anywhere else.
We are simply collecting stories of people and sharing
them with other people.