On Kawara. I Got Up… (1968.1979).

On Kawara. I Got Up…. 1977. Ink and stamps on postcards, each postcard 4 x 5 7/8" (10.2 x 15 cm), each frame 53 3/4 x 11 1/4 x 1 3/4" (136.5 x 28.6 x 4.4 cm).

Art as a record of existence and time

Conceptual artist On Kawara is known for turning time and daily routines into art. In 1968, he began the project I Got Up… , which he continued for 11 years. Every day, Kawara selected two tourist postcards and stamped them with the phrase “I GOT UP AT” , followed by the exact time he woke up that day. He then mailed the postcards to friends, family, collectors, and colleagues. By the end of the project, he had sent over 8,000 cards .

The series functions both as a personal diary and a conceptual artwork. It documents not only the time Kawara woke up each day but also his constant movement across cities and countries, visible through the postcards’ imagery and postmarks. The varied wake-up times reflect an irregular schedule, ranging from early morning to late afternoon. Yet at its core, the project offers a minimalist but powerful assertion: “I am here. I existed today.”