The exhibition, expanding from the 80’s up to the present time and focusing mainly on East-Central Europe, intends to elaborate on the revolutionary terminology formulated in its title through certain defining positions of contemporary art.
Along with cutting edge artists of the international art scene such as Jonathan Meese, Jörg Schlick and Martin Kippenberger, the Ex-Yugoslav region is being represented by Marko Brecelj, Zoran Todorovic, Zoran Pantelic and the Apsolutno; while Bálint Szombathy, Hejettes Szomlyazók (Substitute Thirsters), Január Herceg and drMáriás are standing for the local art scene. These works have been brought together to come into view in the same exhibition space because all of these artists attracted attention by their socially conscious attitude and radical artistic gestures. The exhibition attempts to reconstruct not only the context of the works, but the social milieu in which they were accomplished.
Apropos of this show were not only provided by the 25th anniversary of the Fall of the Iron Curtain, celebrated this year, but also by the continuous self-reflection exercised by contemporary art to examine whether it inspires and initiates important changes in society and politics or rather subsequently reacts to them. As parts of an equilateral triangle, Anarchy, Utopia and Revolution construct the frame of references investigated in the exhibition. Artists whose life-work is less known or seldom shown in Hungary are being presented here, as well as numerous pieces from the collection of the Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art. Especially for this occasion Substitute Thirsters had reconstructed their work “A Altar”, first exhibited in Künstlerhaus Bethanien, West-Berlin in 1989.
