2022. 05. 27. – 06. 30.
Exhibition date: 26.05.2022 – 30.06.
Virágf Benedek House (Budapest I. Döbrentei u. 9.)
Opening: 26.05.2022. 6 -10pm
Opening by: Dalma Eszter Kollár and Kristóf Kovács (Gergely Sajnos), criminal scene investigator
Exhibiting artists:
Attila Bagi, Nikolett Balázs, Adrienn Dér, Tamás Füredi, Mónika Kárándi, Áron Lőrincz, Norbert Menyhárt, Mózes Márton Murányi, László Németh, Bella Pál, Sándor Dávid Papp, Luca Sára Rózsa, Botond Wertán
A dense, gray and seemingly infinite blanket of clouds spreads above Jákotpuszta. As if some kind of slothful, huge duvet insinuated itself into above the valley, lingered there and kept spouting infinite quantities of water, much to the annoyance of the temporary inhabitants.
It was already the fifth rainy morning. The occupants of the manor, or as everyone called it by then, the mansion, were waking up and listlessly noted that not even that day would they be able to recharge their already emptied vitamin D reserves. Their strictly professional dispute from last night’s agenda was once again prolonged, so everyone started their day rather unhurriedly. Usually, these evening confrontations took its toll on M. as well, however, on that very morning, some kind of weird ambition poked him from the inside, so well ahead of the others, he was already blinking vigilantly in his bed. A few minutes later, he got up, stepped into his rubber slippers, and before he went out, he preferred to wrap the well-worn blanket on the bed next to him around himself. He walked down the oddly structured stairs, shuffled through the building all the way to the entrance, then flung open the door, spread his arms and shouted: „HELLO WORLD, WON’T SEE YOU TODAY EITHER!” He turned back, leaving the whole lot of nothing behind him, the stubborn silence, which was only interrupted by the wet, soft sounds of the ruthless rain.
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In case we take into account that the precondition of an exhibition is usually defining an overall subject matter, then in this case, the creation of the residency situation was the theme itself. As it is in these situations, artists and theorists spend more time together in a longer and more direct way than on a normal day, preferably, in a place that in itself provides some kind of withdrawal from the everyday life.
Jákotpuszta is a homestead, three kilometers from the nearest village, essentially completely isolated from the outside world. The practical use of this isolation, to which the lack of signal and internet connection contributes, is that the environment infiltrates the perception of the ones being there on a more basic level, therefore inevitably affecting the resulting products. This level of segregation truly provides the essence of the place. Another feature of the residency, organized for the third year running, is that it adds to the grassroots art projects.
Alongside the strengths and weaknesses in the domestic environment, the main motivation of the organizers was to establish a platform where there is more room for direct dialogue between peers, without burdening the participants either financially or in terms of artistic product.