An artistic affair

The Balassi Insititute or Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre (HICC) is housing two exhibitions simultaneously called ‘Cocos Nuciferas by MD Deleep (Franco-Swiss) from France and Switzerland that consists of a set of installations on the front lawn of the HICC. The other is ‘Spirit and Matter - Three Artists - Three Generations’ by Ilona Lovas, Anna Makovecz and Villő Turcsány from Hungary, in the gallery that opened to the public on January 27 and will stay on till 26 February.

Metrolife managed to catch the exhibition that has quite a few interesting and intricate installations reminiscent of the recently concluded India Art Fair.

The artwork by MD Deleep (Franco-Swiss) is an attempt to translate and share spiritual and ethnic emotions and sensations through these intermediaries. Thus, it is important that there should be a lack of distance between the viewer and the installation, allowing spectators to be able to create a relationship between them, the creation and subsequently, the creator.

The exhibition is a performance with the participation of three female artists, belonging to three differing generations who coexist well with each other. While Lovas’ work examines the metamorphosis of matter, body and spirit, Makovecz work is primarily built on folk and popular art with her mediums and techniques referring to the engagement of body and emotions.

Through their installations, photos and videos, these topics are being translated in the language of a contemporary medium in an attempt to reach out to more people. Turcsány’s, on the other hand, is concentrated on relationships of spiritual material and the visualisation of the essence of one’s soul. The secret behind the intensity that can be seen in all her installations; stems from the sculptural vision, musical thinking and the harmonic balance of the structures.

Cibor Kovacs, Director of the HICC was having higher expectations though. “To be honest, I expected a larger footfall than we received. Don’t get me wrong, the response was great but as all the artists here were also at the India Art Fair and seeing it is an extension of the fair itself, I felt the attendance could have been more” Kovacs confessed.

The closing ceremony for both the exhibitions will be on 26 February and will be presided over by Dipali Khanna from MSIGNCA. It will comprise a Mohiniyattam dance performance from Kerala by Brigitta Hegedus and Turcsány and the curator, Katalin Keseru will be in attendance.

The exhibitions are open to the public till February 28, weekdays only, 10 am to 4 pm at 1- A Janpath.