RZLBD Letters

With a vintage typewriter in hand, Reza Aliabadi (who works under the pseudonym RZLBD) revives the lost craft of letter writing. With his ongoing project RZLBD Letters, he revisits the capacity of the letter as a medium and a manual typewriter as an instrument beyond their utilitarian purpose. For over two years, the Toronto-based artist and architect has submitted himself to typing over 200 imaginary, heartfelt pages to historical artists who have inspired him deeply. Paying homage to figures including Yoko Ono, Donald Judd, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and even Pi, the language on the surface at first glance may seem familiar; yet, looking closer, only each artist can fully decipher the meaning of their particular letter. While some letters only took a couple of hours (writing to figure Pi, for instance), others took 365 days.