The technological transformation that began in the 19th century (the rise of visual media, the visual turn) has steadily shifted mass communication away from language—particularly written language—toward visual communication. This process is unfolding at an even faster pace in the age of the internet, smartphones, and—now—artificial intelligence. However, this does not mean that words float weightlessly in the glow of plasma screens.
On the contrary. Social media platforms provide greater visibility than ever before for the written form of language as well. In recent historical events, political decisions that have set off global economic and ideological waves were formulated within the confines of posts condensed into a few characters or the limited possibilities of comment sections.
What is the relationship between text and its medium today?
A year ago, the Vízivárosi Gallery invited ten artists to create new text-based conceptual works. We did not specify the theme of the works, but we did define their medium.
On April 15, 2026, at a public event attended by the future exhibitors and the audience, we held a raffle to assign various surfaces to the artists, who were then required to create a text–based work for the exhibition using the surface(s) they were assigned.
What can Emese Benczúr do with a letter board, Lőrinc Borsos with an overhead projector, Dániel Bozzai with a flip chart, or Márton Gerber with a label maker? What can János Sugár do with a letter lamp, Soma Kazsimér with a stamp, and Zsombor Pólya with a light–up newspaper? Does Nóra Juhász know how to use a typewriter, and do Sz. A. F. (Judit Fischer and Miklós Mécs) know how to use a spray paint can? And what happens if Pál Gerber is allowed to publish freely on a page of Artmagazin?