Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art

STRABAG Painting Prize 2007

14. September 2007. – 14. October
MegnyitóOpening: September 13, 2007, 6:00 pm
Every year for the past fourteen years, STRABAG (formerly Magyar Aszfalt Kft.) has been running a competition for young – under-40 year old – Hungarian painters. This year, 77 artists entered nearly 200 works into the competition. Wilhelm Weiss, Director of the Strabag Kunstforum, and Barbara Baum, art historian for the Kunstforum, were on the jury for the first time, joining Dr Lóránd Hegyi, art historian, Márta Kovalovszky, art historian, Katalin Néray, art historian and Director of the Ludwig Museum, and Dr Zsolt Petrányi, art historian and director of the Műcsarnok Gallery’s non-profit company.

The jury awarded first prize to Ágnes Verebics (1982), the youngest of the prizewinners. The jury was particularly impressed by the unique composition and colour scheme of her allusive, psychological portraits. The women’s faces on her pictures take their effect through expressive gestures and unusual settings and framing.

Other four prizewinners were Zsombor Barakonyi, Róbert Batykó, Barna Benedek and Miklós Tóth.

Zsombor Barakonyi (1972), in his latest series, transplants the approach of animated film tricks into the medium of painting, creating surreal and utopian visions through cityscapes and interiors.

Róbert Batykó (1981) explores the boundaries of figuration and abstraction in his works, setting montages of magnified musical instrument details and powerful brushwork against monochrome surfaces.

Barna Benedek (1973) combines the products of op-art and geometric painting on large canvases covered with shades of black and white. His arresting compositions of dense lines make up vibrant structures formed into a lucid system.

Miklós Tóth (1974) employs style combination devices in works that evoke both still lives and the recent industrial design style. His manipulated wallpaper patterns and wall details also have a touch of irony.

The works on show provide – in addition to an expressive visual experience – a glimpse into the current painting issues that preoccupy the young Hungarian generation.