HOUSE OF MINE — ECHOES WITHIN | exhibition

HOUSE OF MINE — ECHOES WITHIN

Exhibition of Hungarian and Slovak Women Artists Exploring the Concept of Home

Opening: 12. 09. 2024, 6 p.m.

On view: 12. 09. 2024 – 25. 10. 2024

Curators: Štefánia Ďuricová, Korinna Tánczos

Venue: Virág Benedek Ház, Budapest, Döbrentei u. 9.

Opening speech: Viktória Popovics art historian

Following the opening speech, visual artist Andrea Fajgerné Dudás will present a live performance.

Exhibiting artists:

Anna Daučíková, Lucia Dovičáková, Andrea Fajgerné Dudás, Viktória Hitka, Judit Horváth Lóczi, Svetlana Fialová, Anetta Mona Chișa & Lucia Tkáčová, Martina Chudá & Peter Lančarič, Judit Kele, Daniela Krajčová, Eszter Magyar (makeupbrutalism), Kata Mach, Eva Moflárová, Mara Oláh OMARA, Anna Eszter Tóth, Jana Želibská

This group exhibition featuring works by Slovak and Hungarian contemporary female artists explores the relationship between an architectural space, specifically the house or the flat, and the women who live within it through the lens of visual arts. The concept of the ‘house’ or ‘home’ are presented as sources of inspiration for contemporary female artists, with positive, humorous, satirical, yet also critical connotations, reflecting the rich emotional spectrum associated with the notion of home. The exhibition also presents the historical, social, and cultural contexts in which women artists in the post-socialist region have developed their practices. The exhibition goes beyond individual narratives to explore the rich heritage, shared histories and unique cultural identities of Slovakia and Hungary.

The exhibition was initially showcased in the East Slovak Gallery in Košice, within an exhibition space that evoked the ambiance of a nineteenth-century flat. In Budapest, the historic Virág Benedek House, with its similarly nineteenth-century spaces, offers a new home and contextual framework for the show. The space has been "reconstructed" as an apartment through works by female artists which examine the themes of the everyday sorrows and joys of women's lives in their homes. The presentation of a bathroom evokes the themes of the objectification of the body, beauty standards, body shaming and sexuality. The kitchen, for example, tackles topics under the outdated notion that “women belong in the kitchen”, while other rooms will explore the themes of caretaking, invisible work and the challenges of balancing motherhood and artistic practice.

Several female artists from the region address these issues, and while these themes are by no means new, having been openly discussed since the sixties, they nonetheless remain relevant and demand our attention, as gender equality and social justice have not yet been fully achieved. Our aim is to open up discussions of the backward traditionalist ideas that are currently seeing a revival across Europe in opposition to democratic and feminist progressivism. Echoes Within emerges as a platform for spirited discourse, countering the insidious creep of regressive ideologies. With a blend of astute critique and lighthearted humour, the exhibition aims to spark conversations that will resonate far beyond its walls.

Sponsors:

NKA, Slovak Institute, East Slovak Gallery, Virág Benedek House