Guided tour by the exhibiting artist at the exhibition Eleanor Macnair: Recreating Moments - Play-Doh Icons in the History of Photography
"In the guided tour, I will explain why the project started and how it has evolved, as well as giving an insight into the process and practical challenges of making the models. I will also share the stories behind several original photographs that are highlights of photographic history. I will talk about their relationship to the other works in the exhibition and why it is important to slow down when looking at and thinking about photographs." - Eleanor Macnair
The guided tour will be in English, with interpretation in Hungarian.
UK-based artist Eleanor Macnair started recreating photographs in Play-Doh in 2013. The project started as an experiment in response to how the digital age has changed the way we view and access photographs. The project became popular on social media and was published in two books and exhibited widely.
Schedule
At the heart of Macnair's art is the reinterpretation of photographs, but with a surprising twist: he reconstructs iconic photos with Play-Doh clay. His work reflects both the iconography of visual culture and the power of everyday materials, while questioning the authenticity of photography. The transformation is not only playful, but also deeply thought-provoking, as it demonstrates how art can transcend its traditional boundaries. These transformed works engage in a playful dialogue with artistic tradition, but also involve the viewer in reinterpreting photographic narratives. His works are not only about creative reinterpretations of technique and vision, but also part of a wider social dialogue. The question raised by the works is: what does copying and re-creation mean in the digital age?
In this exhibition, visitors can also take a journey through photographic history, as the exhibition chronologically follows the original images of the gyurma photographs, covering nearly 120 years of photography's 186-year history.
The exhibition is part of the official programme of the Budapest Photo Festival 2025.
Due to limited space, participation in the event is subject to pre-registration. To register for the programme, please send an e-mail to [email protected] and write in the subject line: guided tour - 23 April.
The maximum number of participants is 25.
The guided tour is available to registered visitors with a discounted or full-price (student, pensioner or adult) admission ticket to the exhibition, purchased in advance or on the day of the exhibition, and with a complementary ticket for the programmes.
Hungarian House of Photography - Mai Manó House
Mai Manó House – The Hungarian House of Photographers – operates in a studio-house built at the end of 19th century, for the commission of Mai Manó (1855-1917), Imperial and Royal Court Photographer. This special, eight-story neo-renaissance monument is unique in world architecture: we have no knowledge of any other intact turn-of-the-century studiohouse. In addition, it serves its original goal, the case of photography again.
The aim of Mai Manó House is to advance the development of Hungarian photography and raise photography’s national prestige as a distinct form of art.
The institution plays a marked role in the cultural life of Budapest and Hungary, while the organization of exhibitions and programs abroad is getting more and more emphasis within its activities. The reputation of justly world-famous Hungarian photographers of the 20th century offers a great opportunity to regain our old status in the world of photography by the introduction of the generations following those great masters
