The central subject of the photography festival in Hungary, examining the issues of memory and history, resonates with the many commemorative events being held this year throughout Europe. The main exhibition in Budapest explores the usage of archives in contemporary art.
Historical documents—objects, texts, photographs—are the most concrete traces of the past and are the basis of any potential reconnection with it. Reinterpreting these sources in the very different socio-political context of today allows us to question various concepts and ideologies. One of the most important issues in contemporary art is the different ways of using archives: creating biographies of fictional characters; making new interpretations of pictures by anonymous photographers; creating new works from existing photographs; and so on. Despite the different approaches, the methods are united by the idea that photography is the quintessential medium of the archives. The medium of photography allows one to embark on a deep analysis of the characteristic of the archives because they can question the role that archives play in our understanding of the world, as well as its manipulation.
Read the full article on the French version of L’Oeil.
EXHIBITION
13 November 2014 – 12 January 2015
Retracings – usage of the archive in the contemporary photography
Budapest Gallery
1036 Budapest, Lajos utca 158
http://fotohonap.hu/
