Ornament – Seriality

Geometric ornamentalism is generally believed to be a decorative element of architecture, book art and, partly, folk art. Our exhibition aims to expand this narrow conception with current meaning by shedding light on the connection between ornamentalism and an existing set of phenomena in contemporary art.

Following in the footsteps of earlier Hungarian research in the field of aesthetics, we wish to position ornamentalism as a subject area bordering mathematics, geometry and the visual arts. The work of our society has always been characterized by exhibitions that connect fields and genres of art, which József Mélyi art critic refers to as “essays”.

As a typical feature of the constructive-concrete in contemporary art, while observing the materials and elements of form, artists traverse areas that, following natural logic, employ the methods and means of ornamentalism. These techniques – the extension of spatial forms onto a plane, the systematic repetition of elements, the expansion of the possibilities for variation, and repetitions with small, seemingly organic changes – create symmetrical/asymmetrical structures and conjure up tectonic tensions, as well as showing an analogy with the play of musical form.

Participants:

Waldo Balar, Márton Cserny, Balázs Faa, András Gálik, Pavel Hayek, Julie Knifer, Tamás Konok, Petr Kvicala, Lepsényi Imre, Kamill Major, Vera Molnar, István Nádler, Ursula Neugebauer, Géza Perneczky, Helga Philipp, Gizella Rákóczy, Katarina Roters, Diet Sayler, Esther Stocker, Waclaw Szpakowski, Péter Türk, András Zalavári

The exhibition contains also African geometric jewelry, carpets, masks and ornamental samples from the 19. century