Upon arriving for her residency at the CCN studio CCN Grenoble, with the mountains before her, Ruth Childs thinking about the artists who had passed through—those who had been there before her and those who would come after. She knows some of them very well, others less so, by name or by sight, and still others not at all. She was struck by the lack of connection between them. She wanted to leave a little note of encouragement, a surprise, check in, ask a question about elements she had picked up from their work. But due to a lack of time, caught up in her own work, her thoughts simply materialized as “likes” via social media, a Facebook page, or Instagram.

 To combat this lack of exchange, symptomatic of the current era, she draws inspiration from the free, intimate, handwritten correspondence of members of the Judson Church (Steve Paxton, Yvonne Rainer, Lucinda Childs…) to imagine a space-time that allows for correspondence with a small group of artists. A space-time to exchange ideas, ask questions, get lost together, have fun, and share the details of their artistic questions and struggles. These exchanges may be short and spontaneous (like a postcard) or more carefully crafted (like a letter), but should, ideally, be handwritten and sent by mail.

The primary goal of this project is to foster openness and the shared experience of a genuine, long-term exchange. In a second phase, and in agreement with the group, a publication of some or all of the correspondence produced in 2026 could be considered.