Common affairs

How can the artistic activities performed together with a community be recorded and shown to the interested audiences? Can we use an art collaboration as a guide to solving a social problem? How can art contribute to community building? The recent exhibition of the Ludwig Museum, which presents seven projects through photos, films and artworks, outlining the added value of collaborative art practices, provides answers to such questions.

The exhibition presents the results of a four-year international program (CAPP – Collaborative Arts Partnership Programme) that was aimed at sharing collaborative art practices with artists and supporting projects involving various communities that seek effective solutions to a particular local or social problem.

The artists selected by a jury and their partners carried out seven projects at several locations in Budapest and in the countryside throughout 2017. 25 artists took part in the program – visual artists, puppeteers, drama teachers, musicians, actors, dancers, and architects – who worked together with various communities, including marginalized people or groups with specific problems, such as pupils in Budapest and Pécs, visually and hearing impaired people, inhabitants of small villages, agricultural entrepreneurs, or Romanies living in a disadvantaged area. The aim of the projects was to strengthen the social role of artists and to improve the participants’ quality of life. The participants involved in the creative process sought to solve their problems through their own creativity, experiencing the community’s support in the course of joint work.

The exhibition not only focuses on the result of the projects, but also attempts to present the entire process of cooperation. It shows that defining a community is not always a simple task, and that joint work is a huge responsibility. Although the results are not necessarily spectacular, collaborative work always brings unique results and enriches participants with unforgettable experiences, leading to exciting discoveries for visitors. In the course of the implementation of the projects, the museum supported the selected artists by organizing workshops, inviting an international expert, supporting research, analyzing project processes, and providing foreign professional travel opportunities.

Projects and Participants

Arboretum – Antal Malvina, Geröly Tamás Sándor, Gőz István, Juhász Ibolya, Kovács Márk, Lakos Fanni, Lukács Gergő, Makra Viktória, Munkácsi Ádám, Németh Ágnes, Pálfi György László, Szabó Kristóf / KristofLab / Ziggurat Project

To Be Continued? – Gyenis Tibor / Balogh Viktória, Gubik Viktória, Kovács Balázs, Rumann Gábor, Szabó Csaba Zsolt / Markuly István, Etienne Samin, Kecskés család, Bakos Judit Piroska, Radev Gergő, Bihari Ádám, Vágvölgyi Gusztáv Pabló / Upstart Festival / Winehill Shepherds’ Circle, Oszkó / Mud Collective / Regio Earth Festival / Traditional House Building Ltd., Vasvár We will see! – Benczúr Emese, Imre Mariann, Szira Henrietta, Szíj Kamilla, Tarr Hajnalka / Jéger Márta, Tábor István, Papp Károlyné Bánó Judit, Tolnayné Csattos Márta, Székely Imola / National Institute for the Blind

Artists in Classrooms – Erdei Krisztina, Fischer Judit, Juhász Rokko, Mécs Miklós, Soltis Miklós, Szabics Ágnes, Szemző Zsófia, Utcai Dávid / T-Tudok Centre for Knowledge Management and Educational Research Inc. / Molnár Ferenc Hungarian-English Bilingual Primary School / Institution for People with Hearing Difficulties – Budapest

Dragon Lee – Gruppo Tökmag (Tábori András, Budha Tamás) / Inner Fire Association

“I like being a farmer and I would like to stay one” – Antje Schiffers / Erdődi Katalin / Sallai János / Kovács Orsolya / Sárosdi Róbert and Judit

Floating House – Zsin Bence / Fogd a Kezem Alapítvány [Hold My Hand Association] / University of Pécs Faculty of Music and Visual Arts / Pécs-Somogy Primary School