Presents at PRESENT

Still searching for a unique christmas/hanukkah present? Check the exhibition “UNAFFORDABLE” at the new PRESENT Gallery in Sip utca! 64 Hungarian and foreign artists present their works and the best is: the maximum price for each piece is 25.000 HUF! You can also see some works on the blog: presentexhibit.wordpress.com.

ARTISTS

ANALÓG Angelika, ANTAL Balázs, Aubrey RAMAGE-LAY, Ava RADO HARTE, BÁCS Emese, BÁNKI Ákos, BÁRDOSI Katinka, BARTIS Noémi, BÉKÉS Rozi, BODÓ Judit, BOROS Mátyás, BRÜCKNER János, BUCSKÓ Mihály, BULLET SHIH, Camilla ENGLUND, CSILLÉRY András, DOBÓ Bianka, FARKAS Rita, FARKAS Roland, FRIDVALSZKI Márk, FUCHS Tamás, GAJZÁGÓ Donáta, GERLÓCZY Sára, HALLA Tibor, HEGEDŰS Hanna Léna, HORVÁTH Dániel, HORVÁTH Helén Sára, HORVÁTH László Adrián, KEMENES Róbert Levente, KÖLLŐ Zsuzsanna, KORODI János, KORODI Luca, KOVÁCS BUDHA Tamás, KOVÁCS Tamás, KOZMA György, KRIZSÁN-KESZEI Zoltán, KUSNYÁR Eveline, LACZKÓ Juli, LÁZÁR Krisztina Metta, LIGETI Miklós, LOWAS Péter, MAKHULT Gabriella, Marcus VILLAÇA, MARIES István, MARTUS Éva, MEGYERI András, MOLNÁRI Mariann, PÁL Csaba, PAUER Gyula, RÁCZ Gabriella, RÁSKAI Szabolcs, SIEGMUND Ákos, SOLT András, ST. AUBY Tamás, SZABÓ Kristóf, SZABÓ Péter, SZABÓKY Zsuzsanna, SZÖKE Gáspár, TÁBORI András, TUZAI István, VÁCZI Dániel, VASS Melinda, VETŐ Janos, VISNYEI Ilona

Antal Balázs: “Lufiárus cigány”. 2004

PRESENT GALLERY

Síp u. 7., Budapest, VII. District, III. floor / 13 door / bell:#59.

the exhibition is open from 3^rd- 24^th of December, daily 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Knitted Monuments

Only 3 more days to see the fantastic exhibition “High and Low” of Annette Streyl at NextArt Gallery. The German artist (born 1968, lives in Hamburg) is internationally known for her machine-knitted buildings. Streyls works are shown in Hungary for the first time.

Annette Streyl at NextArt Gallery

The arrangement of the exhibition is quite unusual and impressive, e.g. the “Berlin TV Tower” is presented twice. One appears as a 3d model, stuck on the galleries walls it seems to float in space; the other model of the tower is hung like a wet towel on a clothesline, next to the “Reichstag”.

Annette Streyl: "TV Tower" and "Reichstag"

Besides there are buildings or monuments of modern life, like a McDonald’s, an IKEA store, the Palast der Republik and many more. To exhibit these works in a commercial gallery is quite brave, as such works are not as easy to sell like a painting or a photography. But progressive exhibitions like these do definitely good for the galleries landscape in Budapest!

Annette Streyl: "Palast der Republik"

Annette Streyl “High and Low”

unti. 1^st of December

NextArt Gallery

Aulich utca 4-6, 1054 Budapest

open: Tue-Fri 12 a.m. – 6 p.m. , Sat 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.

www.nextartgaleria.hu

LABOR Exhibit

On Thursday a new exhibition opened at LABOR: László Csáki and Marcell Esterházy, the 2 winners of the prestigious “Studio Award” 2008 (from the Studio of Young Artists Association), are showing a small extract of their oeuvre.

Marcell Esterházy: "les lunettes de Miklos Meszöly" (series 1996-2009)

If you go there, make sure to go to the gallerie’s toilet. Yes, the toilet! Some time ago, the young Hungarian artist, János Fodor, exchanged paper for the toilets walls and has drawn his typical little creatures all over the place!

János Fodor at LABOR

János Fodor at LABOR

the exhibit is open till 4^th of December

address:  Budapest, 1053 Képíró utca 6.

opening hours: Tuesday and Thursday 4p.m. – 8p.m.

CALL FOR ARTISTS / BUDAPEST

Call for artists: PRESENT graphic art exhibition

The PRESENT is looking for artists for its next exhibition entitled Unaffordable art that will be a Christmas/Chanukkah art market at the same time.

Pablo Picasso: the owl

This time the site will not be the Gallery in the Prater street as usual. We have found a new place, an old bourgeois salon in the Sip street, next to Astoria, where, although the wind of the past has blown through it, it still can remind us (if not by its outside appearance) of the bustling artistic life of erstwhile art salons of the past.

We are organizing this exhibition with multiple ends. On the one hand we would like to continue the tradition of Present Gallery where we regularly give opportunity to exhibit for contemporary Hungarian and foreign artists. On the other hand we would like to create a meeting point, where not only artists and the regular art fair visitors can feel at home, but anyone from among the Christmas costumers, or anyone who is interested in contemporary culture and art.

We would like to prove, that although contemporary art seems to be unaffordable, as its worth is on a different plane than the price of any other consumption good, still it is not unaffordable, neither in spirit, nor in price.

This is why we decided that we maximize the prices in 25 000 HUF – to make it similar to the amount of money an average family spends on presents at this time of the year. The PRESENT wants to set an example by granting 75% of the income through the art works to the creators.

We do hope that by this maximized price we may inspire the artists and the customers to participate; we hope to draw in potentially new customers into the art market, popularizing contemporary art, that may thus gain a more prominent role in our everyday life. Let us not forget that most people do not know neither the artists of our days, nor the prices, and this lack of information repels many future collectors or buyers.

So we are calling all artists, who want to participate in this effort, to please send us his or her graphic art works, which he or she would like to exhibit and to sell.

The exhibition and the art fair will await the interested public all along December.

The mode of application:

• You may inform us about your participation only in email at this address : presentexhibit@gmail.com

• From all artists we await a photo that makes it possible for the Jury to ascertain the art work.

• Members of the Jury: David Geshem, Katja Melzer, Paksi Endre Lehel, Sárvári Zita.
• The email must contain the data of the art work: the name of the creator, the title of the work, year, measurements, materials, technique, in case of serial works the number of items and its price (max 25000 HUF).
• One artist may apply with several art works.
• We do not set formal or thematic boundaries. Due to this concept we expect the artists to decide about the cadres themselves and we would like to get the works already encadred.

The remaining details will be negotiated with the artists personally.

The applications, with a short CV should be sent till the 15^th of November at the email address: presentexhibit@gmail.com . Naturally all the questions pertaining the exhibitions can be sent to this mail address.

Best wishes:

David Geshem & Katja Melzer

PRESENT Gallery, 28 Práter utca, Budapest 1083

Beuys in Budapest

In June 1971, Beuys founded the “Organization for Direct Democracy” and nearly used all his exhibitions, performances and lectures to propagate his radical ideas and programs. For one of his first actions Beuys used an old bus as a symbol for democracy.

OMNIBUS. 2009

This week the “OMNIBUS for Direct Democracy” will arrive in Budapest. The project is organised by the Goethe Institute and wants to continue Beuys’ thoughts. Since the beginning of September the Bus has been travelling through South- and Middle-Eastern Europe. On 3 different places in Budapest, the bus will stop, to be opened for the audiences questions, for discussions and actions. The programme was put together in cooperation with Hungarian Civil Organisations. Especially the event on Saturday could be interesting, as this place is at the Budapestian University of Fine Arts. Lets see how the art students comment on Beuys idea today!

Beuys and Stüttgen (right)

Programme in Budapest

Thursday, 5^th of November

Csarnok tér and Corvinus University (9^th District)

1. a.m. – 4.00 p.m.:    OMNIBUS at Csarnok tér

from 1 p.m.:    Beuys Happening “Meeting point Budapest”

from 2 p.m.:    Bálint Solymosi ready Beuys

4 p.m. – 7 p.m.:    Lecture Gerald Häfner “Power and Democracy” (at Corvinus University, Fővám tér 8., Room E 2001 / German with Hungarian translation)

Friday, 6^th of November

Klauzál tér and Fogasház (7^th District)

10 a.m. – 6 p.m.:    OMNIBUS at Klauzál tér

from 2 p.m.:    “Democracy and Art”, Art Exhibition at Fogasház

6 p.m. – 7 p.m.:     Lecture by Johannes Stüttgen (“the expanded concept of art, the social sculpture and the question of democracy according to Beuys”) / in German with Hungarian translation

Saturday, 7^th of November

Hunyadi tér (6^th district)

9 a.m. – 1 p.m.:    OMNIBUS at Hunyadi Square

9 a.m. – 1 p.m.:   various happenings, actions, performances, workshops, on offer: fat, bread, honey, folk-punk and a      piano player

Attila Csörgő “Archimedean Point” at Ludwig Museum Budapest

Last Thursday the retrospective exhibition of Attila Csörgő “Archimedean point” opened at the Ludwig Museum Budapest. Csörgő, born in 1965, is one of the best-known Hungarian artists, locally and internationally. Amongst others he represented Hungary at the Venice Biennial (1999) and won the Nam June Paik Award.

How to construct an orange? (1965)

The current exhibition delivers an interesting insight into the artistic work of Csörgő. The following text by the Ludwig Museum gives a perfect introduction:
“His works explore the adjoining territories of art and science. He makes experiments with carefully engineered devices of his own design, with cameras and optical apparatuses – investigations that attest to a mindset that is playful and humorous, as well as philosophical. With the often surprising and amusing experiments, he tries to create and visualize motions and phenomena that are imperceptible for the human eye. He assembles his objects, which almost function like representations of rules of geometry, from everyday objects and materials, which he places in unusual situations. Spreading out objects in two dimensions, or the representation of dimensions hidden before the human eye with their duality of dynamism and stillness, make for very spectacular works. His exhibitions present both the individual stages of the experiment and its conceptual background, attempting to create a space of interpretation between work and viewer that facilitates reception.”

Platonic Love

Don’t miss this exhibit! It will stay opened until the 24th of January 2009. A guided tour in English will be offered this Saturday 7th of November between 5 and 6 pm.

The Ludwig Museum’s opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10 am – 8 pm, closed on Mondays
Parallel Exhibitions: Amerigo Toth “Parallel Constructions” and the Permanent Collection

“Messiások” exhibit at MODEM

After seeing the posters everywhere in Budapest, it was about time to go to Debrecen to check out the “Messiások” exhibit at MODEM.

The introduction text at the entrance sounded promising. The exhibition wanted to question how to reach catharsis in contemporary every day life. The visitors were encouraged to take a break and relax. Unfortunately what was presented were mostly artworks dealing either with the passion of Christ or tortured bodies, á la Brus or Schwarzkogler. Of course, there were some exceptions: one of the last works, before you leave the exhibit is the beautiful video “Messenger” by Bill Viola. That put me in a quite conciliatory mood. But going from Budapest to Debrecen, only to see this exhibit? I wouldn’t recommend it.

Bill Viola The Messenger, 1996, Guggenheim

But check out the other exhibits at MODEM. (I was lucky and saw the exhibition “A little Hungarian Pornography” based on the book of Péter Esterházy.) Or have a look at the Déri Museum, just next to MODEM. There, one can see the impressive,  re-united trilogy by Mihály Munkácsy  (1844-1900).

Munkacsy: Christ before pilate

Street Art in Budapest II

one night -  made a wrong turn around blaha, went into the wrong street -  but found this pretty piece. the website of Simon Barna is under maintenance – but probably worth being observed for news!

Poster. Simon Barna. found Oct. 2009

poster detail

Szabolcs KissPál at Ernst Museum

The Ernst Museum seems to be one of the least popular museums in Budapest. Every time I go there – no other visitors. This is quite remarkable as it is one of the few places showing progressive contemporary art like the current exhibit of Szabolcs KissPál.

Paradigm. videostill. 2009

KissPál, born 1967 in Romania and based in Budapest now, is one of the most exciting artists working in Hungary. The exhibition called “The smallest Common Multiple” was curated by Judit Angel and shows a kind of retrospective of KissPáls works. “Kind of”, because the all the works were made between 2004 and 2009.

EMT (European Mean Time, detail).2009. Photo by artportal.hu

The artists mostly deals with topics like cultural spaces and political images. In this exhibition, the presented works (installations, videos and photos) refer to the current Hungarian cultural and political situation and its place within Europe. The pieces oscillate between laconic comments and passionate appeal. For the understanding it is helpful to be familiar with the Hungarian politics of the last few years – but for anyone else – there is a small booklet with an interesting commentarial text as well! The exhibition is still opened till the end of December, but don’t miss it!

13 September – 31 December 2009
open: Tuesday – Sunday 11a.m. – 7p.m.
ticket: 1400 HUF (combined ticket for Műcsarnok exhibit 1600 HUF)
address: Ernst Múzeum, H-1065 Budapest, Nagymező u. 8, www.mucsarnok.hu

And the winner is….

Admittedly, this news is not too fresh anymore – but still:

The winner of the AVIVA AWARD 2009 is KIS VARSO (Little Warsaw)!

Statement of the jury:

“The jury awards the prize to Little Warsaw, i.e. András Gálik and Bálint Havas, in recognition of their artistic activity in the past fifteen years. They have been active shapers of the local art scene with such context-creating initiatives as the Artwork of the week series, and they have explored the characteristic workings of remembrance and collective identity with relation to historical symbols and monuments in East-Central Europe, from perspectives that point beyond local conditions. The Aviva Art Award is an acknowledgement of their oeuvre to date, their successful exhibitions in Hungary and abroad, and their influence on the visual art scene in Hungary.”

I am quite happy with this decision – so KIS VARSO can spend the 5 Million HUF on their next work of art,  YES! The special award (500.000 HUF), based on the visitors votes, was given to Emese Benczúr.