ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Art in Action: Lajos Kassák’s Avant-Garde Journals Reviewed

publication · 2026-05-01

In 2017, the Petőfi Literary Museum-Kassák Museum Kassák Foundation released a collection titled 'Art in Action,' focusing on Lajos Kassák’s avant-garde journals from 1915 to 1927. Curated by Eszter Balázs, Edit Sasvári, and Merse Pál Szeredi, this work acts as both a catalogue and anthology supporting the 'Kassákisms' exhibitions across Budapest. Kassák, a pivotal figure in early 20th-century Hungarian avant-garde literature, continued his literary pursuits despite economic hardships after relocating to Vienna in 1919, collaborating with partner Jolán Simon. The collection highlights his journals A Tett, MA, 2×2, and Dokumentum, emphasizing their contribution to avant-garde writing.

Key facts

  • The book was published in 2017 by Petőfi Literary Museum-Kassák Museum Kassák Foundation.
  • It accompanied three exhibitions called 'Kassákisms' at three museums in Budapest.
  • Lajos Kassák was a Hungarian avant-garde artist, poet, and editor born in 1887.
  • Kassák fled Budapest for Vienna in 1919 after a communist government fell.
  • His partner Jolán Simon collaborated with him but receives scant mention in the book.
  • The volume covers journals A Tett, MA, 2×2, and Dokumentum from 1915 to 1927.
  • MA is the most emphasized journal, though its name does not appear in the book's title.
  • The book is available as a free PDF from the Kassák Museum.

Entities

Artists

  • Lajos Kassák
  • Jolán Simon
  • László Moholy-Nagy
  • Ernő Kállai
  • Farkas Molnár
  • László Péri
  • Vincenc Beneš
  • Vincent van Gogh
  • Rembrandt
  • Franz Marc
  • Umberto Boccioni
  • El Lissitzky
  • Ivan Puni
  • Kurt Schwitters
  • Béla Uitz
  • Kazimir Malevich
  • Oskar Schlemmer
  • Andor Németh
  • György Lukács
  • Hannes Meyer

Institutions

  • Petőfi Literary Museum
  • Kassák Museum
  • Kassák Foundation
  • Gizi Bajor Actors’ Museum
  • Bauhaus

Locations

  • Budapest
  • Hungary
  • Vienna
  • Austria
  • Paris
  • France
  • Berlin
  • Germany
  • Moscow
  • Russia
  • Brno
  • Czech Republic

Sources