The exhibition Habitat seeks to provide an overview of visual approaches and attitudes to nature in art from the second half of the nineteenth century up to now, through paintings, graphic art and photo series, sculptures, photo documentations and videos. By placing the issues of the ecological crisis within a broader context, it explores how the relationship between nature and culture can be redefined, considering the complex relations between approaches taken to nature and the landscape in previous centuries, contemporary ecological thinking, and the interplay between nature and urban culture.
The sensitive connection between art and the natural environment – which provides living space for all species, including humans – is already indicated by the title of the exhibition itself. Climate change, the excessive use of natural resources and the bourgeoning threat of the ecological crisis have increasingly come to the fore of the international and domestic discourses on art in the last ten years. The greatest challenge of the twenty-first century is to reduce the severe environmental impact of our agricultural and industrial production, the transportation of goods and passengers, and their energy consumption, all of which are disrupting the ecological balance of our planet. It is becoming increasingly obvious to everyone who feels responsible for the future of humanity that a global ecological disaster can only be avoided through a committed and profound joint effort.
The exhibition explores how art over the past two centuries has responded to changes in the natural environment. It examines how the concept of nature evolved as industrial and agricultural production scaled up, and how the different attitudes relating to this shift were manifest in artistic expression. More recent works reveal the influence of technological advancements and the diverse trends of the twentieth century, inviting visitors to reflect on their own views and responsibilities regarding an issue that will shape the future of humanity as a whole.
Artists featured at the exhibition:
Gábor Attalai, Anikó Bajkó, Levente Baranyai, Joseph Beuys, András Böröcz, Imre Bukta, Gustave Courbet, András Cséfalvay, Tamás Dezső, Ólafur Elíasson, Sári Ember, Ex-Artists’ Collective (Tamás Tibor Kaszás and Anikó Erzsébet Loránt), Noémi Ferenczy, Fuzzy Earth (Tekla Gedeon and Sebastian Gschanes), Lujza Gecser, Kitti Gosztola, Tibor Gyenis, László Haris, László András Hatházi, Gideon Horváth, Tibor iski Kocsis, Józsa Járitz, Tamás Tibor Kaszás, Károly Kismányoki, Endre Koronczi, Katalin Ladik, Barbara Leisgen, Michael Leisgen, Ilona Lovas, László Mednyánszky, Dezső Mokry Mészáros, Adelsteen Normann, Lóránt Nyári, Luca Sára Rózsa, Sebastião Salgado, Alan Sonfist, Rita Süveges, Ádám Szabó, Kálmán Szíjártó, István Szőnyi, Kata Tranker, Dominika Trapp, Ádám Ulbert.