SUMMARY– 2019/1
Béla Albertini: The History of Hungarian Photography
August 1919 – June 1941
Part 3
In the third part of his photo history series, Béla Albertini summarises the main sociological and institutional changes caused by the treaty of Trianon in Hungary. In his article, the readers can learn about the changes in the number of photographers related to the population and the main institutional changes from the year 1900 to the 1920s. One of the most exciting parts of the writings is the discussion about the treaties impact on the former photo clubs and photoassociation networks. The article provides lesser-known information about the structures and institutions of the formation and the educational possibilities of photographers during the first two decades of the XX. century in Hungary.
Andrea Bordács: Among friends - Conversation with László Dallos about the underground K2 group from Szombathely
Based on the publications we can easily believe that the history of the postwar Hungarian photography life was concentrated in Budapest. In the focus of the writing from Andrea Bordács is the K2 Group, formed by some photographer in Szombathely. The author analyses the activities of the K2 Group through an interview with László Dallos. He and his enthusiastic friends, József Rosta, János Szily and Károly Bonyhádi, worked in the city of Szombathely during the years 1970s-1980s. Even their works did not get as great publicity as the artist in Budapest; their series are evidence that the neo-avantgarde movement, the culture of experimentation did not stop at the borders of Budapest.
György Cséka: Pixels tuned on a nightmare - David Lynch: Small stories
David Lynch’s exhibition, the Small stories was opened in the Műcsarnok in the frame of the Budapest Photo Festival. His films are well known, but his photo series never was in the focus of interest until the year 2000. This series was presented first in the Maison Européen de la Photographie in Paris. About the exhibition and about Lynch's activity in the field of the photography György Cséka has written. In his critic, he writes about all the three main photo series of the celebrated filmmaker.
Gábor Ébli: Conscious instinctiveness - About the position of photography on the art market concerning the Hetényi- Gonda Collection
Gábor Ébli as part of his series about the Hungarian photo collectors, in this issue, writes about the Hetényi-Gonda Collection. It is a relatively young and quickly developing collection showing the interest of the new collector generation. The collection concentrates on quality of the pictures, and that is why it contains works from the seventies as well from the last years. The writing introduces the readers into collector’s motivation and a possible approach to photography.
Zsuzsa Farkas: Hungarian photo collectors - A report with Beatrix Philpott
Beatrix Philpott has an extensive collection from XIX century Hungarian photographers who worked mainly in the early stage of the photography, mainly before 1860. Because of the collection region, she not only collects these works, but she does in-depth research works as well. This work is a result of an intense mix of passion, mission and accuracy. Zsuzsa Farkas interviewed her about the origin of the passion and the ways of researches.
Zoltán Fejér: The „gilded” Zone VI
The notion of Zone is hardly connected to the name of Ansel Adams in the field of photography. Two Americans used the same word for their English styled, wooden camera which was produced by their company from 1986, in Vermont under the name Zone VI. Zoltán Fejér’s article introduces us to the technical details, specificity and the usage of this great format camera. His writing informs us known not only the technical details but the development steps of this camera as well.
Károly Kincses: Signs of life from the coast of Nothing
István Rácz was born in the territory of present Slovakia; he worked in Hungary where he was insulted because of his communist belief, worked in the Czech Republic and finally moved to Finland. He fought against the Russian Army during the Finnish war and lived in his chosen homeland until his death. He photographed and wrote about the middle age art of Finnland, Norvege and Sweden, published several books and albums about the art history of the countries mentioned above and the treasures of Switzerland as well. He translated into Hungarian the Kalevala songs too. With his article, Károly Kincses is trying to save his spirit and works from the oblivion.
Anne Kotzan: Harry Gruyaert – Magnetism of the pictures
Harry Gruyaert is a member of the MAGNUM cooperatives since 1981. Maybe because of his homeland, Belgium, maybe because of other reason, he had become one of the greatest masters of the composition through the colours photography. He worked for fashion magazines, travelled through the world several times, had been the colleague of Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichtenstein among others. He has interested only the picture itself, and he is one of the greatest who can build up complex architectures based on colours. The writing of Anne Kotzan introduces the readers into his life, the main stage in his photographic career.
Gábor Pfisztner: What would you like to be? - Luca Gőbölyös: Shadow Traveller in Shanghai
The B2 Gallery exhibited The Shadow Traveller II. series from Luca Gőbölyös. This series was made based on a similar concept like to original Shadow Traveller, which she published in 2000. The conditions of the photography, the media, the applicable methods dramatically changed between the two dates. Gábor Pfisztner uses the comparison of these two series to point out some characteristics of the media’s altered nature.
Zsófia Somogyi: The not substantial and the essential - About the works of Ildi Hermann
Ildi Hermann was an unavoidable figure of Hungarian photography. Her early and tragic death broke down a very productive career. Zsófi Somogyi’s article is the first attempt to summarise her oeuvre. The writing provides a sensuous overview, not only about the aesthetic of the series but the subtle correlations between Ildi Herman’s faith, life and the works, how she fought for the everyday life with photography, how she used the photography to transmit serious messages for the everyday life.
Mihály Surányi – Máté Dobokay – György Cséka: An autopsy of the media: Anatomy of the photography in Győr
An exciting exhibition opened in February under the title Anatomy of the Photography, in Györ. The central question of this exhibition was, how the contemporary Hungarian photographers are reflecting the photography as a media? What types of approaches exist today questioning the limits of it? Mihály Surányi’s conversation with Máté Dobokay, one of the curators of the show, and with Gyögy Cséka deals with the exhibition's history and the concept behind it.
Réka, Szentirmay: - And where did the peacocks go?
Our new series about Japanese photography begins with the article by Réka Szentirmay. Her essay is about Miho Kajioka, originally a journalist who began to work with photography after the tragic tsunami and the catastrophe in Fukushima on the 1st of March in 20011. Keeping the Japanese visual traditions, she developed a lyrical documentary series during her project. With her work, Miho Kajioka reinterpreted the tragedy giving completely new meanings for the pictures taken in the devasted environment.
Ágnes Telek-Nay: Audiovisual stimulation – a structure of a city
D-terv (D-Plan) is an exhibition about Dunaújváros through the eyes of young photographers. Members of the FFS - Studio of Young Photographers with the contribution of György Cséka curator scoping on the story and history of the Hungarian urban socialist-utopia. Vera A Fehér inquires the structure, and it is inner possibilities and meanings, the installation of Márk Martinkó, which looks like a scale-model, is a sound-visualisation of the steel foundry of the ‘Dunai Vasmű’ the city’s factory from the Soviet era, which still exists and functions. Beyond the local issues, Balázs Fromm gives a current impress of the cities of that age in the present, and Tibor Nagy displays the analytical portrait of the Stakhanovite working class. The overdone efficiency pressure pictured by Domonkos Tamás Németh, and the fictional future is driven by the technical progress is shown by Richárd Kiss. Dóri Lázár has been organised a drawing competition for students to see, how children would imagine their cities future. Benedek Regős’s work is focusing on the inconsequence of a statue, Zsombor Pólya has been collected all of the existing artworks of Dunaújváros to share them with the public of the exhibition.
