For 22 years now we have been working on one of our long-term projects on the subject of angels and messages. Much has been created and archived during this time, some has been discarded and some can no longer be found. But sometimes, while we are looking for other things, we come across things that have almost been forgotten.

Here is a sample from the beginnings.

Date: Winter 2001
Material: Telephone books, a telephone, a fax machine
Title: There are many kinds of angels

Text of telephone enquiry to people whose businesses have “angels” in their name:
“Good afternoon, my name is Marlen Wagner. I am doing research for an art project on the word “angel”. For this purpose, I have selected several people and companies with this name from the telephone directory and am now asking them to send me their business cards by fax. Would you be so kind as to fax me yours as well?”

Some of the responses received:

“It’s just the mother here. But my son doesn’t do that!”

“Business card? I don’t know you.”

“We’d rather not do that.”

“What do you want with it?”

“No! You could play fast and loose with it!”

“Fax? I don’t have anything that new.”

“My business card has gold lettering. But hold on…”

“Art project? No.”

“No, she doesn’t live here anymore. – Who are you, anyway?”

“I don’t live in Berlin anymore.”

Some of those who faxed their business cards:
A construction company, a funeral parlour, a building cleaning company, a marine electronics company, a real estate agency.

There were angels who refused, angels who moved away unknown and angels who broke their promises.

Marlen Wagner