The Down Foundation has been helping people with disabilities for over 30 years. It is almost 10 years since we started our art therapy programme, which has resulted in this exhibition. We have developed the themes and methods of our sessions based primarily on photography, photomontages using the artists’ photographs and the visual experiences of the participants, adapting them to individual needs.
The essence of art therapy is unqualified. It is a therapeutic method that uses the processes of art. It does not have primarily aesthetic or artistic aims, but rather to enable people to express their inner feelings through the creative process. There is no good or beautiful, spoiled or unsuccessful creation if the expression of feelings is achieved. In addition to experiencing the joy of creation, creation contributes to increasing creativity, keeping the mental level up, and spending leisure time actively.
For the exhibition at the Karinthy Salon, we have selected works from the most important projects of recent years: Frida, Matisse, surrealist artists and paraphrases of works by the painter Ferenc Kóka. The works include photographs, montages based on photographs and new artworks. The exhibition’s tangible objects, papier-mâché sculptures and utensils, were made in the Down Foundation’s craft workshops. The artists photographed the exhibited photos with cameras donated by SONY.
The motto of the exhibition is the message of the artists to the visitors: although life is difficult and the world is complicated, “It is good to live”.