Dan Perjovschi, El-Hassan Róza (Műcsarnok, Budapest, 2006)

The three exhibitions on display at the Műcsarnok / Kunsthalle, Budapest reflect three prominent views. In addition to Dan Perjovschi’s politically motivated satirical drawings and Róza El-Hassan’s installations and socially aware projects, the e-flux video rental presents the recent history of a genre. In spite the varied character of the three materials, they all touch on a common orientational area, which could be referred to as “conflict.” “Conflict" is a fundamental mobilizing factor of present day history and society. Our world can be divided into ethnic groups and religious communities and, in parallel, has varied ideas about enforcing interests. While the democratic system manages the reconciliation of opposites more or less successfully, the worldwide network of global politics and economics has no capacity for resolving and reconciling disparate worldviews. From civil resistance to military solutions, we are familiar with numerous ways of expressing conflicts of interests. Nonetheless, the seed of the “conflict" can often be found in psychological factors and personal relationships. A terrorist s opinion and a politician's standpoint diverge from each other only in that the former chooses an entirely dif­ferent method for influencing the political and social system. By using the language of art, the three exhibitions draw attention to local and global problems, which can be interpreted in terms of "conflict.” Their complexity may not offer us a picture of solvability, their representation through references, however, may arouse interest in the multifaceted nature of and various perspectives associated with these problems. While we must live with the discords that exist in the world, one of the most important roles that art plays is the raising of social awareness. Taking a political stand does not mean the acceptance of party politics, but, rather, the careful interpretation of the events that surround us, whereby the most significant elements of our opinion­making may be the avoidance of apathy and an active attitude. By using varying modes of expression in fine art, Dan Perjovschi, Róza El-Hassan and the e-flux video rental send us signals, which prove the visual transmittability of everyday topics. The art presented at these exhibitions is like a membrane, which, through sensing and reflecting tensions, mirrors the closeness of the artist to daily life. In accordance with this approach, the artist is a responsible member of society, who, by processing and showing conflict, aids the viewer in moving towards resolution or action. Zsolt Petrányi, PhD, General Director 3

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