SUMMARY– 2024/4

Márton Ballagó: Archive, Memory, Trauma - Eszter Biró: Fragments (2014)
Márton Ballagó's study, Eszter Biró's photo book Fragments, introduces the reader to the project and the history of the photo book's development. This book by Eszter Biró was the first to be awarded the Rosti Pál Prize, founded by the Hungarian National Museum.

Andrea Bordács: The Disease for Which Love Is No Cure - Frida Kahlo's Photo Collection
Frida Kahlo's photo collection has long been inaccessible, making the recent exhibition at Mai Manó Ház a significant event. Through Andrea Bordács's writing, readers can gain insight into the exhibition and, by extension, into Kahlo's world.

Szilvia Csanádi: Traces of Disappearance - Aliona Frankl, Péter Herendi, and Enikő Gábor's Light Sandwich Project
Three Hungarian photographers have embarked on a unique project in which they collaborate by working on each other's images. While this collaborative approach is not new, it remains fascinating to witness how the interplay of different creative intentions and personalities results in distinct works of art. This creative process is both playful and responsible. Szilvia Csanádi-Bognár guides the viewer through all the details.

Judit Csatlós: The Garden - An Examination of Siân Davey's Work
Siân Davey is not a widely known name in the press. However, in the second half of 2024, the Photographer's Gallery in London will host an exhibition showcasing his work. Judit Csatlós has drawn attention to the photographer in connection with the Pictet Prize nominations based in Switzerland. In her analysis of Davey's recent series, she explores the importance of diversity in human relationships.

Noémi B. Tier: The Honesty of Coincidence - An Interview with Tamás Dobos
Tamás Dobos' work features a unique atmosphere characterized by a blend of postmodern realism. His photographs explore layers of perception and shifts in visual meaning, among other themes. By combining everyday human experiences with surreal and sci-fi elements, he creates a new dimension in his art. In this interview, Noémi B. Tier invites readers to explore the world of Tamás Dobos.

Gábor Ébli: Spinning Hay. Photo Works in Károly Gerendai’s Collection
A pivotal figure of cultural management, Károly Gerendai has been collecting contemporary art for three decades now. While his leaning towards specific trends in painting is well-known, a closer look at the collection reveals diverse photo-based practices, too.

Gábor Ébli: Guardian Angel. Photo - based Works in the MBH Bank Collection
Sponsor of Hungarian Art & Business (HAB), a new cultural forum placed in a landmark villa in downtown Budapest that opened in 2023, MBH Bank has also begun to expand its art collection towards a contemporary profile, by acquiring photo-based works, too.

Kocsis Katica: Angola's Heritage - Edson Chagas: Tipo Passe, Interview
It is uncommon to see the work of an Angolan photographer in Budapest. Katica Kocsis interviewed Edson Chagas, an artist who travels between Portugal and Angola, about the images displayed at the Cairo Contemporary gallery.

Balázs Gáspár: Dance on a Construction Site - Berlin in the 90s
C/O Berlin is a significant hub for contemporary photography. One of their recent exhibitions focused on the photographic works from the 1990s, specifically the post-system change decade in Berlin, highlighting the activities and contributions of the members of the Ostkreutz Gruppe in the exhibition titled "Dream On:
Berlin in the 90s." In his article about this exhibition, Balázs Gáspár provides readers with insight into the displayed works and their context.

Balázs Gáspár: Sketches from the "Golden Age" of Berlin - The Life and Works of Imre Santhó (Part II)
The second part of this series of articles on the life and works of the little-known Imre Santhó focuses on the photographer's years in Berlin. It also explores the environment in which Santhó operated in both Hungary and Berlin, detailing his network of acquaintances and the lives they led, which were profoundly shaped by both the Great Depression and the rise of Hitler to power.

Judit Gellér: Photobooks. Conversations IX - "...I chose the path of taking care of my books myself" - Gábor Kudász Arion: Tropical Depression
Gábor Kudász Arion has released his eighth photography book. Judit Gellér interviewed the artist about the new book, "Tropical Depression," the circumstances of its creation, its realization in Vietnam, and the surprising aspects of Vietnamese culture.

Ádám Kuttner: The Triumph of Imagination
The Surrealist Manifesto was published in October 1924. It is surprising how few events related to surrealism can be recalled from the year 2024 in Hungary. Notably, Ádám Kuttner wrote about an exhibition featuring the work of several contemporary Hungarian photographers that was organized to commemorate the publication of the Manifesto.

Anne Kotzan: Arles 2024
Since 1970, the festival Les Rencontres d'Arles has been held every summer. This month-long event features numerous exhibitions showcasing artists from around the globe. This year, Anne Kotzan shared her personal impressions of the festival in a summary.

Mihály Surányi: André Kertész at 130 - A Conversation with Éva Fisli, Curator of the Exhibition Series
To commemorate the 130th anniversary of André Kertész's birth, the Hungarian National Museum hosted a series of three exhibitions. Mihály Surányi spoke with Éva Fisli, the curator of these exhibitions and a researcher of the Kertész collection, about her research findings regarding Kertész in Hungary and how they integrate with both national and international studies.