Márton Szipál was born 101 years ago into a photographic dynasty in Debrecen and his career stretched all the way to Los Angeles. The focus of the exhibition opening in the 3rd floor exhibition space of MODEM is Szipál’s photographic work and his unrivalled personality. In addition, the curators will show, through documents, his life story and the decisive role of his parents. They highlight his fundamental compositional principles, the interiors he created with special objects and lighting, the highlights and subtle harmonies that created his unique style. And the exhibition space not only shows his studios, but also builds one on the “Sipal model” to give visitors a sense of what it was like to be in front of his camera.
The exhibition, organized on the basis of the thematic units Light-Everyday-Heritage, is complemented by the theme Teaching, which is not included in the title, but can be interpreted as a kind of summary of the oeuvre and which has fundamentally defined Szipál’s activities after his return from Los Angeles. The presentation of the photographs in the space is also organized according to his principles of arrangement, evoking the reception spaces and personal living spaces of his studios. Letters relating to his person and work will also be on display, including letters written to him by Henry Miller and Olivia Hassey after the photographs were taken. Some of the photographs on show are original copies, treasured pieces of Szipál’s photographic legacy, and are being presented in this summarised form for the first time since his death. Some of the archive’s canvas prints are also part of the exhibition, combined with later prints.