On March 17, 2023 the exhibition entitled Travel of the graphic artist and animation film director Líviusz GYULAI (1937–2021)was opened at the Transylvanian Art Centre in Sepsiszentgyörgy (Sfantu Gheorghe). The art show was jointly organized by the Cultural Centre of Covasna County and the Transylvanian Art Centre as a special side event of the 7th Grapchic Art Biennial of Szeklerland.
At the exhibition opening, art historian dr. Beáta Bordás, the host of the event welcomed the visitors, then opening remarks followed by Apor Ferencz S., curator of the 7th Graphic Art Biennial, Ágnes Képiró, art historian and BélaSzepessy graphic artist and curator of the exhibition.
Líviusz GYULAI was born in the winter of the year 1937 in Barót (Baraolt). The family repatriated to the town of Sopron in West Hungary in 1946. During his childhood readings he got to know the famous French illustrators Doré and Daumier. From 1952 he continued his studies at the Fine Arts High School in Budapesten, then after finishing it, he studied graphics at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts between 1956–1962. Among his masters are to be mentioned Sándor Ék, Géza Fónyi and János Kmetty. He actively participated in the revolution and war of independence of 1956 together with the students of the Faculty of Fine Arts. As a result he has been subjected to a number of retorts in the early years of his career. In Hungary he did not receive any official recognition for a long time, except for the Munkácsy Mihály Prize in 1973. However after the regime change he was overwhelmed with the most prestigious awards beginning with the distinction Merited Artist (1989) through the Kossuth Prize (2004) to the distinction Artist of the Nation (2014).
The life career of the artist is charactarized by the interaction between epochs, styles, techniques and genres. All this he fulfilled in each of his epochs with the highest craftsmanship, humility and with a rare vitality.
The exhibition organized in the Transylvanian Art Centre – also due to its summarizing nature – aims to flash as much as possible from the whole life work. This art show presents more than 180 graphic works, among others archaizing pen drawings, linocuts, lithographies and etchings. At the same time, in course of the exhibition visitors will be able to watch the animated films of Líviusz GYULAI, to which he made not only the figure, phase- and background drawings, but he wrote the screenplays and stories himself, as well, thus these are themselves works of independent value.
“Culture doesn’t save anything or anyone, it doesn’t justify.
But it’s a product of man: he projects himself into it,
he recognizes himself in it; that critical mirror alone offers him his image.” (Jean-Paul Sartre)
In addition to the exhibition spaces of the Transylvanian Art Centre in Sfântu Gheorghe, other cultural institutions of Szeklerland will join the events of the 7th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland in October 2022, as unlike in previous years, the Szekler Museum of Ciuc will present part of the core material of the Biennial.
This year’s call is inextricably linked to the previous one, with the curator, Ferencz S. Apor, sensitively responding to the global stress and unpredictability of recent years, giving the call the title ”Strategies”.
This year’s call, like the one two years ago, struck a prophetic note, as it called for new creative strategies for the future, reflecting on the events of the past, even before we knew anything about the current war, and thus, wittingly or unwittingly, it also referred to the current situation.
Strategy as a concept was primarily used in warfare and meant the art of winning a war. Although it has a much broader connotation today, unfortunately, our current situation reminds us of the original connotation of the term. Not only the war raging in a neighbouring country, but also the increasingly acute ecological disasters of our time, the fight against the pandemic that has not yet ended, the foreseeably accelerating energy crisis, the economic decline, and so on.
The number of works submitted to this year’s call has not decreased significantly compared to previous years, the jury members were able to choose from 2000 creations by 844 artists, which once again exemplifies the artists’ relentless receptiveness and willingness to take action. This time, 303 works were selected for the Biennial’s core selection, which can be seen in this catalogue.
Although the Hungary, Poland and Romania were strongly represented again this year, the quantity and quality of works submitted by South American and Far Eastern artists was spectacularly stronger than in previous years. This year’s prize winners include artists from Poland, Hungary, Thailand, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Finland.
Looking at the Biennial’s core material, we are right to wonder what creative strategies art offers to respond to the changing global circumstances, to the uncertainty that is increasingly making itself felt in our everyday lives. Can we find some kind of grip on the unpredictability? How are our personal and individual lives interwoven and influenced by events in the wider world, and how can we respond to them?
Every change generates new social and cultural bonds, that give rise to new relationships and socio-cultural manifestations. In a sea of anxiety, fear, intimidation and manipulation, it becomes increasingly difficult to find a way out, so that an attitude of loneliness and isolation can become a normal behaviour. Is this the new normal? Art has always responded sensitively to crisis situations, assuming an attitude-shaping, sensitising role in society, holding up a mirror to it.
This year’s call of the Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland was also a response to a crisis and a questioning of the “new normal”. Multiplicative graphics is one of the most appropriate genres to express a critical attitude, since one of its important roles and aims is to question perceived and actual reality and, if necessary, to confront the reality around us even ruthlessly. This is also given by the technique, since the works created with acid, copper, needle or chisel imply the very essence of the possibility of strong and decisive expression.
The works selected for this year’s Biennial are a beautiful blend of fine art techniques and digital solutions, creating unique experiments and a rich visual language. The sharper lines and colder style of mechanical processes enter organically into dialogue with the more subtle, lyrical linework of planographic, screen-printing, digital and custom techniques. Regardless of their technical execution, their choice of subject matter reveals to a large extent an absurd, cold, threatening world. Through their dialogue, the thematizations of different issues, such as loneliness, pandemic, hopelessness, ecological problems, are brought together into a whole, providing a visual image of the relevant situation of our time.
Looking at the material of the Biennial, the question arises again and again: can art, and if so, how can it bring about change in a reality outside of itself? This year’s core material, even if it cannot bring about concrete changes, certainly invites the viewer to reflect through the quality of the works and the choice of themes. To paraphrase Sartre, it is a critical mirror of our near and distant surroundings that, wittingly or unwittingly, encourages us to change and move on.
”It is not enough to have eyes (…),
one must learn to see.” (Sartre)
Dr. Iréne Kányádi, art historian
Artwork: ANTAL István, Glitsh 2022
On Friday, October 7, the 7th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland was opened in the Szekler Museum of Ciuc. The event was opened by Aranka Karda-Markaly, director of the Szekler Museum of Ciuc, Attila Korodi, the mayor of Miercurea-Ciuc, Apor S. Ferencz, curator of the Biennial. The exhibition was inaugurated by art hirtorian Eszter Túros.
In her welcoming speech, Aranka Karda-Markaly, the director of the Szekler Museum of Ciuc, said that this is the first exhibition in the life of the museum, which is a significant, well-known and recognized event of contemporary art, and its justification for existence in this city and institution is perfectly clear. He especially emphasized that among the exhibited and winning works of art, there are also works by artists from Miercurea-Ciuc.
Attila Korodi, mayor of Miercurea-Ciuc, congratulated the organizers and thanked them for the event: “having seen the works, I feel that it was worthwhile to organise the Biennial, as we have been enriched by the art world, by all the works exhibited, and by the participating artists. It is a special joy that Szeklerland operates in a common dimension, and the three counties jointly strengthen the reputation of the cultural world in which we live.”
Apor S. Ferencz, the curator of the Biennial highlighted that “the main aim of G7 continued to be to focus on contemporary graphic design and to provide a comprehensive overview of current trends and developments in reproductive image creation; to trace, map and highlight the interactions that can lead to different fusions of traditional and experimental graphic techniques. We hoped that the products of the creative sensibility of the artists who applied would be an excellent reflection of the events of the recent past.”
The exhibition was praised by visual artist Eszter Túros: “Images of abstract forms and structures provide the starting point. Order and the various markings of borders set the tone, where industrial skeletons and structures, traces of chaos, the occupied order, shreds of homeliness, labyrinths that function also serve as exits, sharp memories of childhood, spaces of life, bonds and unions, repetitions, cyclicity, tight structures and organic forms frame our space of movement. It includes personal stories, images of the body, of solitude, of inaccessible, very sensitively formed, one-person spaces. Moving on, out of the tensions of external and internal spaces, images of action emerge, which are essentially images of life, of our lives, with the most topical, most pressing questions. Personal struggles, strategies, ways of functioning. Breathing exits from a maze.”
On Thursday, 6 October, the official opening and award ceremony of the 7th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland took place at the Transylvanian Art Centre. Sándor Tamás, president of the Covasna County Council, Dr. Beáta Bordás, head of the Transylvanian Art Centre, Béla Kolcsár, head of the Cultural and Art Centre of Lăzarea, Bulcsú Ötvös Koppány, director of the Mureș County Museum, Hajnal Both, consul of the Consulate of Hungary in Miercurea-Ciuc, and Apor S. Ferencz, curator of the Biennial, attended the exhibition and gave welcoming speeches. The exhibition was praised by art historian Iréne Kányádi.
Dr. Bordás Beáta, head of the Transylvanian Art Centre, welcomed the participants, expressed her appreciation and gratitude for the fact that the Transylvanian Art Centre could once again host the Biennial and that the best of the works will remain in the Centre’s collection.
In his speech, Sándor Tamás, president of the Covasna County Council, emphasized that the almost 15 years of cooperation between Covasna, Harghita and Mureș counties is fruitful, as a result of which the cultural forcefield of Szeklerland has been strengthened: “we make room for both tradition and innovation, and this duality is exciting. A well-planned strategy provides stability, and innovation provides rapid adaptation. This duality is found not only in us, but also in the arts.”
Béla Kolcsár, the head of the Cultural and Art Centre of Lăzarea, thanked the organisers and emphasised that significant moments in history can be linked to artistic events, so today’s event is also a good opportunity to show the participants how much new things can be presented by the artists besides the traditional techniques of graphic art.
Bulcsú Koppány Ötvös, director of the Mureş County Museum, on behalf of Ferenc Péter, president of the Mureş County Council, and consul Hajnal Both, welcomed the guests.
Apor S. Ferencz, the curator of this year’s edition of the Biennial presented the motto for this year’s edition: “Changing circumstances and the constraints we experienced force us all to reassess our vision of the future. We are looking for solutions to the unanswered questions of uncertain times with different strategies. Accordingly, in 2022, we have proposed the title Strategies as the motto of the Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland.”
The exhibition was praised by art historian Iréne Kányádi: “Looking at the material of the Biennial, the question arises again and again: can art, and if so, how can it bring changes to the reality outside of it? Even if this year’s core material cannot bring about concrete changes, the quality of the works and the choice of themes certainly invite the viewer to reflect. We can say that it puts us in a critical mirror of our near and distant surroundings, which, wittingly or unwittingly, encourages us to change and move on.”
The event was attended by the award-winning artists, as well as by Árpád Kurko, the provider of the Biennial’s main prize, who presented this year’s main award to the winning artist.
Main Prize of the biennial Nastazja Ciupa / PL
V
lithography
100 x 70 cm / 2021
VI lithography
100 x 70 cm / 2021
Nagy Imre Prize
Anna Trojanowska / PL
Utwór Pracowniczy_03
lithography
51 x 74 cm / 2021
Utwór Pracowniczy_06
lithography, individual technique
51 x 74 cm / 2021
Plugor Sándor Prize / Plugor Sándor-díj / Premiul Plugor Sándor
Janne Laine / FI
Overwhelming
polymergravure
64 x 85 cm / 2020
Kohti valoa (Towards light)
polymergravure
64 x 85 cm / 2020
Nagy Pál Prize Vimonmarn Khanthachavana / TH Pincushions in Painscape V woodcut, offset, stamping
56 x 80 cm / 2020
Baász Imre Prize Shanatya Tahpor / TH
The Horizon dawn of loneliness
woodcut
70 x 100 cm / 2022
The prize of the Consulate General of Hungary in Miercurea Ciuc
Agnieszka Cieślińska / PL
Bestiary Lion
etching, aquatint
66 x 98 cm / 2021
Partium Award by the Partium Christian University
Siklódy Fruzsina / RO
Interior 2
c-print
92 x 66 cm / 2022
Eszterházy Károly University’s Prize
Miklós Kelemen / HU Pallets II
colography, intaglio
100 x 70 cm / 2022
Pallets III
colography, intaglio
70 x 100 cm / 2022
The prize of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts
Goran Trickovski / BG Another meaningless work, from meaningless life
etching, aquatint
120 x 170 cm / 2019
Pulzus Art Camp Prize
Cătălina Nistor / RO Fear
linoleum cut, mixed technique
42 x 29 cm / 2021
MAMŰ Society Prize
Kovács Csonga Anikó / SK Deformations (triptych)
linoleum cut, mixed technique
100 x 70 x 3 cm / 2021
Lăzarea Art Camp Prize
Dobó Bianka / HU Monument 1
aquatint, mezzotint
100 x 70 cm / 2022
The exhibition The Bird Lives / Imre Baász and his friends – witness stories and the idea of printing opened on 5 October at the MAGMA Contemporary Art Exhibition Space. The exhibition attempts to compose a portrait of Imre Baász, complemented by contemporary art projects belonging to this intellectual tradition. The exhibition was opened by Attila Kispál, director of the MAGMA Contemporary Art Exhibition Space, Apor S. Ferencz, curator of the Biennial, Márton Gajzágó, journalist, and Dénes Miklósi, one of the curators of the exhibition.
On the occasion of the creation of the exhibition, Miklósi explains that he does not treat the work of Imre Baász as a historical act, but is interested in the present. In a kind of visual anthropology experiment, the aim was to rediscover the face that is made up of the faces of people who were close to him. The exhibition includes interviews with close friends of Imre Baász, as well as some of the artist’s unfinished works and sketches. “I’m not interested in his art, I’m interested in the unquantifiable” – says Miklósi.
Imre Baász’s tradition is an important part of recent history through its practical, applied character. The title of the exhibition is a reference to his mail-art work with the same title, reproduced in 1985 with serigraphy, about which he writes: “a work not only suggests the possibility of change, but also intervenes in the context of the material world, rearranging the world according to changed needs or anxieties”.
The artists participating in the exhibition are Márta Adorjáni, Răzvan Anton, Claudiu Cobilanschi, Hermina Csala, Vilmos Koter, Szilárd Miklós, Dénes Miklósi, Cătălina Nistor, Áron Öllerer. Curators: Dénes Miklósi, Vilmos Koter. The exhibition is open until 2 December. Photos of the event can be viewed HERE.
The exhibition of the G6 winner opened in the Arcaded House
On Wednesday, October 5, 2022, the exhibition of Thai artist Mettrai Pongchomporn, Grand Prize Winner of the 6th 6th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland was opened in the Arcaded House in Sfântu Gheorghe. The event marked the start of this year’s Biennial. The exhibition was opened by Zonga Bartha, colleague of the Szekler National Museum, Apor S. Ferencz, curator of the Biennia, and Fruzsina Vargha, art historian and deputy mayor of the Sfântu Gheorghe.
Zonga Bartha welcomed the large number of visitors on behalf of the Szekler National Museum, the venue of the exhibition. Apor S. Ferencz then introduced the artist and the technique used in his works.
Mettrai Pongchomporn, 25, from Thailand, comes from a family of artists, studies printmaking at the Silpakorn University of Art in Bangkok, and is the recipient of numerous awards. The artist is also active in the world of digital art, working in graphic design and animation. The exhibited works have been created during the last four years.
With the content and conceptual background of the works, he holds up a mirror to the Thai education system, trying to point out its negative character. The emphasis is on breaking out of enforced uniformity, on the individual’s need for freedom.
The prints combine several graphic techniques, using etching as the basic technique, complemented by screen printing and chine collé, applied in different ways in each work.
„The concept and ideas of this unique exhibition convey a clear message, while at the same time captivating the eye with its nuanced mood and rhythmic changes” – said Vargha Fruzsina. She emphasized that the works present a new culture, a different kind of youth, a world far away from us, but at the same time meaningful to us, which is both thought-provoking and simple. With this duality, the 25-year-old artist creates the aura that the unity of the exhibition and the uniqueness of the works can express.
There will be four exhibition openings during the Biennial.
The opening ceremony, awards ceremony and accompanying events of the 7th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland will take place between 5 and 7 October in Sfântu Gheorghe and Miercurea-Ciuc.
On 5 October 2022 at 17:00, the series of events of the Biennial will begin with the opening of the solo exhibition of the Thai artist Mettrai Pongchomporn, winner of the 6th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland, in Sfântu Gheorghe at the Lábasház (Arcaded House). The exhibition will be opened by Fruzsina Vargha, Deputy Mayor of Sfântu Gheorghe. The opening of the exhibition THE BIRD LIVES / Imre Baász – testimonies and the idea of printing will also take place on 5 October at 19:00 in the MAGMA Contemporary Art Exhibition Space.The exhibition was organized by the graphic artists Dénes Miklósi and Vilmos Koter, and the staff of MAGMA Contemporary Art Exhibition Space.
On Thursday, 6 October, from 17:00, the official opening and award ceremony of the 7th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland will be held at the Transylvanian Art Centre. The exhibition will be opened by Apor S. Ferencz, curator of the Biennial, and Dr. Iréne Kányádi, art historian.
The series of events continues on Friday in Miercurea-Ciuc, on 7 October from 17:00 at the Szekler Museum of Ciuc, with the opening of the exhibition of the 7th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland, which will be opened by Apor S. Ferencz, curator of the Biennial, and Eszter Túros, art historian.
The Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland has become a significant international forum for the graphic artist profession. Its importance is also confirmed by the fact that this year artists from 62 countries have submitted their works. During the ten-week application period, nearly 2,000 entries were received from a total of 844 artists. The jury selected 303 works for the exhibition of the Biennial.
The main aim of G7 is to continue to focus on contemporary graphic art, providing a comprehensive overview of current trends and developments in reproductive image creation. In 2022, several artists have responded with their works to the call of the Biennial’s title, Strategies, also in response to the current social situation.
The G7 jury is made up of internationally renowned representatives of the profession: Prof. Dr. Bogdan Achimescu, a Professor at the Cracow University of Arts, Prof. Dr. István Erőss, Rector of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Prof. dr. Adriana Lucaciu, Professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Western University of Timișoara, Dr.Andrea Pézman, Assistant Professor at the Department of Graphic Arts at the University of Fine Arts in Bratislava, Dr. Beáta Bordás, art historian, head of the Transylvanian Art Centre in Sfântu Gheorghe, Dr. József Szurcsik, Deputy Rector of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Associate Professor and Head of Department, and graphic artist Apor S. Ferencz, curator of the Biennial. This year, the jury awarded 12 prizes to the best entries.
The event is jointly organized by the Covasna County Cultural Centre, the Councils of Covasna, Harghita and Mureș Counties, the Mayor’s Office of Sfântu Gheorghe, the Transylvanian Art Centre, the Miercurea-Ciuc City Hall, the Szekler Museum of Ciuc, the Cultural and Art Centre of Lăzarea, the Mureș County Museum, the MAGMA Contemporary Art Exhibition Space, and the Szekler National Museum.
The sponsors of the prizes:
Main Prize of the biennial – Kurkó Árpád; Nagy Pál Prize – Maros County Council, Mureş County Museum; Nagy Imre Prize – Harghita County Council, the Cultural and Art Centre of Lăzarea; Plugor Sándor Prize – Covasna County Council, Covasna County Cultural Centre; Baász Imre Prize – Association of Romanian Artists – Covasna County Branch; The prize of the Consulate General of Hungary in Miercurea Ciuc – Consulate General of Hungary in Miercurea Ciuc, MVM Energy Romania; The prize of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts – Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Budapest; Eszterházy Károly University’s Prize – Eszterházy Károly University, Visual Arts Institute, Eger; Partium Award by the Partium Christian University – Partium Christian University, Department of Fine Arts, Oradea; Pulzus Art Camp Prize – Pulzus Art Camp, Odorheiu Secuiesc; Lăzarea Art Camp Prize – Cultural and Art Centre of Lăzarea; MAMŰ Society Prize – MAMŰ Society Cultural Association, Budapest
Between 17-19th of June the jurying process of the 7th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland took place at the Transylvanian Art Centre in Sfântu Gheorghe.
Among the laureated artists, this year we can find representatives of Poland, Hungary, Thailand, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Finland. The organizers will publish the list of the winners before the opening of the biennial, in early October, 2022.
Andrea Pézman was born in Komárno (Slovak Republic) and currently lives and works in Bratislava. In 1999 she became an architect at the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, then in 2005 she was a graphic artist at the Bratislava College of Fine Arts, where she received her doctorate in 2018 and is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Graphic Arts.
Regularly exhibits both in Slovakia, Hungary and internationally. She won many national and international contests.
Her works can be found in the collections of several recognized institutions: MAK Wien, Mead Art Museum at Amherst College (USA), Instituto de Artes Gráficas, Oaxaca (Mexico), Galéria mesta Bratislavy (Slovakia).
dr hab. Bogdan Achimescu prof. ASP (PL)
Draughtsman and transmedia artist, born in 1965. Studied at the High School of Arts in Timișoara, the Cluj Art Institute, the Krakow Fine Arts Academy (MFA in Graphics in 1992). In recent years, Achimescu has focused on performative lectures, that is, live drawing sessions projected on a screen, simultaneously with a narrative full of digressions, about topics such as revolutions and social change, the material culture of Eastern Europe as well as micro- subjective history. Achimescu represented Romania at the Venice Biennale 2001 as part of the Context group. His works are in numerous private and public collections, including the viennese Albertina, MOMA New York, Ludwigsmuseum Cologne, Uffizzi Galleries in Florence, National Museum in Warsaw, Art Museum in Sao Paolo. Achimescu has taught at numerous universities in the United States, including the University of Virginia (1999, 2002-2004) and the University of Arizona (2000-2001). Vice-Rector of the Krakow Academy of Arts (2016-2020). He is currently a professor at the Faculty of Intermediate and director of the Doctoral School of the Krakow Fine Arts Academy.
Dr. Bordás Beáta (RO)
Dr. Beáta Bordás is an art historian. She was born in Sepsiszentgyörgy/ Sfântu Gheorghe in 1986. She graduated from Babeș–Bolyai University in Kolozsvár/Cluj – Napoca, where she obtained her degree of Doctor of History in 2013.
During the period of 2016-2021 she was a museologist and curator of the Art Museum in Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca and since the summer of 2021 she has been director of the Transylvanian Art Centre in Sepsiszentgyörgy/ Sfântu Gheorghe.
Her main research areas are Transylvanian art of the 19th and 20th century and Transylvanian architecture of the age of historicism. There have been published several individual volumes and studies about Transylvanian art and Transylvanian built heritage written by her.
Prof. dr. Erőss István (HU)
Hungarian artist István Erőss, he graduated from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in 1995 as a printmaker, but he also attended other institutions, such as the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, the Royal Academy of Art (The Hague) and the University of Fine Arts in Marseille. He defended his DLA thesis about ”Nature Art” in 2009.Works at Eszterházy Károly University, Eger, as professor at the Visual Arts Institute,from August 2021, he is the rector of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts.
He has taken numerous professional trips to remote countries: he has been to Africa five times and to Asia more than forty times as a guest artist, exhibitor, lecturer or curator of different artists’ camps and symposia. He is exhibitor and organiser of the series of international exchange exhibitions entitled SEGMENT, consisting of twice nine events held in Hungary and several Asian countries up to now. He works in different genres ranging from printmaking through installation to sculpture.
Ferencz S. Apor (RO/HU)
Apor Ferencz S. is a visual artist, born in 1975, he graduated the Bucharest National University of Arts in 2001. He is member of several professional organisations such as the Romanian Artists` Union (UAP), the Caffart Fine Art Association in Budapest and the MAMŰ Art Society (HU). He is also founder and editor of the online visual art forum ”Fórumtizenöt” [Forum fifteen] and active organizer of many local exhibitions and professional events. He has received a lot of professional recognitions and artist grants, such as the Hollósy Simon Scholarship (2006) (HU), the Barcsay Award (2011) (HU), Communitas Scholarship (2003, 2010) (RO), Scholarship of the Budapest Gallery (2006, 2019) (HU), the Creative Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Arts (2021) (HU). From 2017 he is the curator of the Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland.
In his works he mainly deals with the problems of his personal existence and the social issues of his environment. Sometimes he redefines his works creating collages and installations of his personal objects and family photos. Found and rebuilt objects have an important role and he often integrates some elements of the material culture of his ”province” into his art.
Prof. dr. habil Adriana Lucaciu (RO)
She was born in 1965 in Lugoj, Romania. She graduated from the Bucharest National University of Arts in 1992, obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Graphics. Since 1993 she has been member of the Romanian Artists’ Union. In 2005 she completed her doctoral studies at West University of Timișoara. At present she is university professor at West University of Timișoara, at the Faculty of Arts and Design.
She participated in several international exhibitions and contests (more than 400 participations) in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Brasilia, Canada, Czech Republic, China, Croatia, Germany, France, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, USA, Turkey, Hungary.
She received a series of international awards and scholarships at home and abroad and took part in many residency programs in Germany, Italy and Austria. She lives and works in Timișoara, Romania.
Szurcsik József(HU)
József Szurcsik is a painter and graphic artist born in 1959 in Budapest. During the periods of 1981-1985 and 1985-1988 he completed his studies at the Printmaking Department of the Hungarian Faculty of Arts in Budapest, respectively he participated in the postgraduate programme of the faculty. He has been an exhibiting artist since 1985. Beside his independent artistic work he has a diverse art organizing and artist representation activity: he is member and office holder of a series of art organizations and societies at home and abroad.
His other important activity field is Art Pedagogy: during the period of 2006 and 2009 he was professor at the Eszterházy Károly College and head of the Visual Art Department, since 2009 he has been teaching at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. At present he is vice-rector of the University, head of the Graphics Department, associate professor.
