Spring Exhibits I.

Today's blog post will introduce two inspiring exhibitions that I had the opportunity to check out during spring break. Apart from involving the artworks of contemporary artists, the two exhibits have another curiosity: they are just a few steps away from each other, since one of them was in Trafó, while the other one in Tündérgyár.

OUTPOST - The Critical Space

Contributing artists: Tomáš Džadoň, Halász

Péter Tamás - Domián Gyula, Kokesch Ádám, Pavla Sceranková

The works strongly reflect on the Eastern and Middle-European identity, and the region's social and economical tendencies. In other words, it is an abstract scenery of our region's past and present, which aims to have an impact on all the senses.

The installations have a gloomy atmosphere: almost all of them carries an apocalyptical desolation, which is, however, balanced by the playful irony most of the artists manage to plant into their pieces. The exhibit daintily avoids every opportunity to pass the borders of kitsch. Most of the works are simple, cheap, yet witty creations (like the photoelectric rural gate, which locks out every visitor). Their mutual feature is that they all convey a sense of homemadeness. This so-called "garage-aesthetics" is highly valued by the contributing artists, who suggest that this gadgeteering spirit is a great strength of the regions' contemporary art. Still, the minimalistic materials are all re-defined by our today's high-technology, resulting in perplexing contradictions or paradoxes.

Perhaps the most outstanding piece of the exhibition is Halász Péter Tamás's and Domián Gyula's strange hybrid of a stealth aircraft and a casual ward for the homeless. The fact that the plane is undetectable by radars transmits a bitter message regarding the treatment of homeless people, how are just as marginalized and invisible as the military plane.

The exhibition was open till 23, April, and it will probably be soon followed by another one involving the works of contemporary artists.

Balázs László - XV. Varnyú

The other exhibit I checked out was Balázs László's "XV. Varnyú"-exhibition, which is characterized by the artist's borrowed motto: "Only the insane take themselves quite seriously."

Tündérgyár is a quite pleasant and spatious tavern, which is famous for its hospitality towards alternative music bands. The place stays true to its spirit, and continues to promote those performers or artists, who are somewhat on the periphery, and one of their new projects is the organization of exhibitions.

Thus, for a month, Balázs László's charming, mischievous, and incredibly lively illustrations are decorating the walls of Tündérgyár. The artist claims that he gets his inspiration from the tiny morsels of impacts that he encounters during his everyday life, then these little details are transformed by a group of playful elves in his head. He must be right, because his visual world is vivid and magical, yet it always holds a crooked mirror to the human nature or society as a whole. Another interesting trait of his works is the distinctive and quirky language that he uses to reinforce his messages, which are conveyed by the monsterlike, yet, amiable figures he creates.

All in all, the general imagery and effect that his illustrations form is quite indescribable because of their originality and idiosyncracy. Therefore, it is strongly recommended for anyone who is interested in a bunch of smile-raising and cartoonlike pictures to check out Balázs lászló's blog (http://varnyu.eu/) or see the exhibit itself while enjoying a glass of beer with a couple of friends.