The exhibition explores the concepts of presence and absence via various perspectives. The concept of presence relates to the state of being physically located inside a certain geographic area, including a nation, a cultural milieu, a societal framework, or an ecological system.
How do individuals from diverse cultural, religious, or ethnic backgrounds see or encounter the notion of “home” inside their nation of origin, as well as within the country where they are pursuing their education or engaging in professional activities? How can they achieve the state of being present, being visible?
Seven years have passed since the first Stipendium Hungaricum student arrived: some of the participants have already graduated and returned to their home countries; others are still active students in Budapest. They are both independent artists and members of the Parallel Hungary Collective (since 2019).
Our inquiry focuses on how one’s experience is altered upon completing their education and thereafter transitioning either to their place of origin or to a different cultural or ecological setting – how each artist adapts and reside within various ecological, social, and cultural environments.
To the manner in which an individual’s presence in a novel setting influences their interactions, both with themselves and with the larger community, and on the process of developing, altering, and adapting. In what ways do they undergo reciprocal transformation via their interaction? Or how nostalgia plays a role in the narratives of the individuals or the community?
Our proposal is inviting visitors to actively engage with these artworks, generating their own responses and contemplating the concerns presented within them.
Artists: Erekle Chinchilakashvili (GE), Manuel F. Contreras (CO), Mansour Forouzesh (IR), Audette Hyder (SYR), Zahra Fuladvand (IR), Pallavi Majumder (IN) with Margit Koller (HU), Tra Nguyen (VN), Khan Nuruzzamann (BD), Enkhtaivan Orchirbat (MGL)