The presence of Endre Rozsda [1913, Mohács/H – 1999, Paris/F], who was born in Hungary yet spent most of his life in Paris, is undeniable in relation to the course of C20 art history. Rozsda became one of the members of the post-war progressive group of Hungarian artists and theorists called the European School as well as being a member of the private circle of André Breton and other surrealists. He participated in several outstanding group exhibitions in Cologne, Munich and Paris, focusing on the concepts and origins of surrealism.
Awarded the Copley prize in 1964 by a renowned jury, including such figures as Hans Arp, Max Ernst, Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp, from 1976 onwards Rozsda lived and worked in the legendary Bateau‐Lavoir until his death in 1999. In 1987 he was honoured with the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and, in 1998, with the Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic. His artworks enrich not only prestigious private collections but also collections of numerous leading museums including the Parisian Centre Pompidou, the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome, as well as the Hungarian National Gallery and the Ludwig Museum in Budapest.
On the 110th anniversary of Endre Rozsda’s birth, the Várfok Gallery wishes to pay tribute to the artist’s memory and his impressively rich oeuvre with a large-scale celebratory exhibition. For this occasion, a diverse group of works of art will come from Paris, which will be seen by the public for the first time in Hungary. The exhibition will be complemented by works on loan from private collections.
The works evoke Rozsda’s kaleidoscope-like painting style in which time and space merge into themselves, appearing as ornamental fabric structures densely interwoven by motifs. Furthermore, paintings that combine abstract forms with figurative details such as faces and self-portraits will also play an important role in the exhibition.