It is a wonderful experience to see the magical play of water and paint on paper. Sometimes they tease, merge into one;
at other times they separate by setting a sharp boundary. The impressive result of their peaceful, creative dance is the harmony created by the colors.
The series of events related to the celebration of the founding of the state began with the ceremonial opening of the exhibition presenting the works of living artists from Dunakesz on Saturday, August 19 at 7 p.m. in the Magyarság Gallery of VOKE JAMK. The Dunakeszi Summer Exhibition, consisting of works by contemporary painters, sculptors, photographers, and graphic artists, was organized for the first time exactly 25 years ago, in 1998, with 14 exhibitors. The works of three of them, Miklós Chiba, István Czinege and Ákos Skripeczky, were also featured in today’s 26th exhibition.
The celebration began with the guitar playing of art teacher József Madarász, which softly filled the packed showrooms, and then Attila Csoma, the director of VOKE JAMK, greeted the guests. In his celebratory commemoration, he said to the artists making their debut: “This program series, which is one of the city’s oldest cultural program series with the oldest traditions, would not have been worth 25 years and 26 events if there were not always new participants and new creators. There are already 35 of us, around 88 works can be seen in the three rooms… With this exhibition opening, the 2023-24 season has begun, which is the 98th started season in the institution’s history, and we are slowly approaching the centenary.”
Afterwards, Gabriella Ceglédi, the hostess of the evening, asked Csaba Dióssi, the mayor of Dunakeszi, to open the exhibition. “I am always in awe of artists, because they can do something that most of us can’t: they can convey thoughts and messages with a work of art, they can say something without words and all this while creating something beautiful. I think it’s a fantastic thing and for those of us who were perhaps born with less talent, it carries enormous respect… 25 years I think is a long time and for something to go on for 25 years, a lot of things have to be right there. It is important to create a creative community that respects and acknowledges each other, many of whom may even be friends. That is why such a community can survive. There is a great need for them to represent real values… Culture and art are the cornerstones of community building, without which a cohesive, well-functioning community cannot really be created.”
The mayor said that this year the residents of the city were included among the visitors in a special way. Four pictures were published on the social network, which were drawn from among the works in the exhibition. The population can decide with votes which picture the municipality will buy.
After the mayor’s greeting, the presentation of the artists followed. It was an intimate moment when, on behalf of the 93-year-old Dér Győző, his wife thanked him for having been here for so many years with his works, and now he wants to say goodbye. The audience applauded the artist’s work.
After the opening, Attila Csoma said that the employees of the cultural center have been preparing for this exhibition since May. It takes a lot of teamwork to make this exhibition. The opening of the exhibition is preceded by a lot of work: sending invitation letters, requesting works of art, photographing them, creating a catalog, producing inscriptions, putting up pictures and furnishing the rooms for the opening, organizing the reception.
The XXVI. The Dunakeszi Summer Exhibition can be viewed: between August 21 and September 8, 2023. Weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The pictures speak for themselves, if you can, check them out!
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Photo: Krisztián Tóta
