[oberlist] OFF-Biennale Budapest presents Gaudiopolis 2017

[OFF-Biennale Budapest]

OFF-Biennale Budapest presents: Gaudiopolis 2017

September 29 – November 5, 2017

Budapest, Dunaújváros, Eger, Nagyatád, Nagykanizsa, and Pécs, Hungary
 

OFF-Biennale Budapest, the largest civil, independent arts initiative in Hungary, is proud to present its second edition entitled Gaudiopolis 2017.

Unique among contemporary art biennials, OFF-Biennale is a grassroots endeavor that is based on the self-organization and a voluntary collaboration of artists, curators, gallerists, and collectors, among others. It aims to rebuild the base for a sustainable art scene in Hungary. OFF-Biennale’s goal is to take an active part in the social discourse on public issues and to enhance the culture of democracy by the means of contemporary art. Today, the allocation of state funding in Hungary is not transparent: professional considerations are frequently ignored and, in many cases, it serves to solidify political agendas. The lack of alternative funding sources has put contemporary art in Hungary in a very vulnerable position. OFF-Biennale strives to reduce the scene's dependence on the state in order to allow for critical art to be produced and seen, hence, it does not apply for Hungarian state funding, and stays away from state-run art institutions.

In 2017, OFF present nearly 40 projects in Budapest and other cities in Hungary. OFF-Biennale’s programs will be in art galleries as well in studios, vacant store premises, private apartments, alternative theaters, and public spaces.
 

Gaudiopolis 2017 - The City of Joy

OFF-Biennale’s thematic framework of Gaudiopolis also allows for addressing crucial and intriguing issues having their bearing on both the present and the future.

Gaudiopolis (1945–1950) was the name of a Children’s Republic founded in the aftermath of World War II in Budapest by Lutheran pastor Gábor Sztehlo. His orphanage provided shelter and home for hundreds of children regardless of their religion, social background, or nationality, who lost their parents and/or their homes to the war. Children dwellers of the “City of Joy” formed their own government, elected their representatives, and adopted laws that applied to everybody (including teachers). Gaudiopolis achieved a certain level of self-sustainability through the residents’ common work. Although it did receive some funds from the state, it functioned independently until its 1950 nationalization. 

This mini-republic of trust, generosity, responsibility, and care serves as inspiration to both the projects and the working method of OFF-Biennale. Even though war tragedies today reach Europe primarily through the stories of refugees or media reports, our micro- and macro-environment are infused with social and political crisis once again; that of liberal democracy, which is also manifest on the level of education. Thus, OFF-Biennale endeavors to reassess the implications of personal commitment, education, community development, and the sustainability of democracy, as well as rethink, in this context, the potential role of children, playfulness, joy—and art.    


Mariann Resimann: Children’s home, led by Sztehlo, 1946. Lutheran Museum, Budapest
Participants

OFF-Biennale’s participants have come together through the invitation of the curatorial team as well as through a selection of the projects that OFF-Biennale received through an open call initiated in Spring 2016. 

 
Participating artists include: Ádám Albert, Can Altay, Gábor Altorjay, Akademia Ruchu, APART, Architecture Uncomfortable Workshop, Art Wall, Orsolya Bajusz, Zbynĕk Baladrán, Anca Benera – Arnold Estefan, Jerzy Bereś, Johanna Billing, Virág Bogyó, Eugen Brikcius, Giulia Bruno, Imre Bukta, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd, András Cséfalvay, Anetta Mona Chişa – Lucia Tkáčová, Gabriella Csoszó/Freedoc, Dávid Demeter, Róza El-Hassan, Sári Ember, Miklós Erhardt, Gábor Erlich, Andrienn Fejes, Valér Fekete, Stano Filko & Alex Mlynárcik, Andreas Fogarasi, Kitti Gosztola – Bence György Pálinkás – Fanni Hegedűs, Tomislav Gotovac, Ion Grigorescu, Ferenc Gróf, Ábris Gryllus – Márton Emil Tóth – Zsófia Tamara Vadas, Ane Hjort Guttu, Zsolt Hajdú, Nicoline van Harskamp, Csilla Hódi, Andy Holden, Csaba Árpád Horváth, Danièle Huillet - Jean-Marie Straub, Adelita Husni-Bey, Binelde Hyrca, Richard Ibghy – Marilou Lemmens, Sanja Iveković, Sven Johne, David Karas, Tamás Kaszás – Anikó Loránt (ex-artists collective), Marcio Kerber Canabarro, Szabolcs KissPál, Milan Knížák, Ádám Kokesch, Eva Koťátková, Július Koller, Jiří Kovanda, Gábor Kristóf, Krisztián Kristóf, KwieKulik, Antal Lakner, László Lakner, Gergely László – Katarina Šević, Armin Linke, Little Warsaw, Dušan Makavejev, Alexander Manuiloff, Dóra Maurer, Dávid Mikulán, Karel Miler, Ráhel Monory, Csilla Nagy, Csaba Nemes, Jüri Okas, The Order of Crusaders for Pure Humor Without Banter, Neša Paripović, Ewa Partum, Manuel Pelmuş, Pirrogó Duó, Csaba Molnár, Joanna Piotrowksa, Pneuma Szöv./Mókusok, Michael Rakowitz, R.E.P., Bea Piros Rostás, Péter Sarkadi, Andi Schmied, School of Free Printing, Kati Simon – Zsolt Vásárhelyi, Eszter Sipos, SLAVS AND TATARS, Mladen Stilinović, János Sugár and students of the course How to Make a Work of Art, Lilla Szász – Judit Hidas, Viktor Szeri, Endre Tót, Balázs Máté Tóth, Zsuzsanna Tóth, Dominika Trapp, Jerzy Treliński, Hajnalka Tulisz, Wedidin’tdoit Crew, Piotr Wysocki – Dominik Jałowiński, Akram Zaatari

The complete list of participating artists will soon be available on the OFF-Biennale’s website <http://offbiennale.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3c6853d72afb11db34c778c6d&id=9b1cb4e6e2&e=1e34947e4a>.

Team                            
Leader of OFF-Biennale: Hajnalka Somogyi

Curators: Nikolett Erőss, Róna Kopeczky, Lívia Páldi (2016), Hajnalka Somogyi, Eszter Szakács, Borbála Szalai, Katalin Székely

Art mediation: Nóra Böhler

PR and Communication: Gabriella Rothman, Gergely Nagy

Archive: Zoltán Dragon

Financing and Administration: András Bognár                       


Main supporters                             

ERSTE Foundation

Goethe-Institut, Budapest

Horváth Art Foundation, Budapest

Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Warsaw

French Institute, Budapest
 

The main cooperation partner of this year's OFF-Biennale is GfZK – Museum of Contemporary Art Leipzig. The cooperation project is funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation. 


 
Visiting OFF-Biennale Budapest

If you would like to visit OFF-Biennale, please let us know, we would be happy to meet you and provide you with more information. 
 

Find out more about OFF-Biennale Budapest
 <http://offbiennale.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3c6853d72afb11db34c778c6d&id=55aa8071fa&e=1e34947e4a>
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