Judit Kele's 1979-85 Performance 'I Am a Work of Art' Reconstructed in Exhibitions Exploring Marriage and Migration
The exhibition 'Kind of Change' at the Budapest Ludwig Museum, running from March to May 2011, featured various artworks, including Judit Kele's performance 'I Am a Work of Art' (1979-85). In this piece, Kele auctioned herself through Libération to marry a French dancer, seeking mobility from Hungary. This performance had previously been reimagined in 'Agents and Provocateurs' (2009-2010), curated by Beata Hock and Franciska Zólyom, alongside works by Tímea Oravecz and Tanja Ostojić. Notably, Kele's work was not included in 'Gender Check' (2009-2010) at MUMOK Vienna and Zachęta Warsaw. After 1985, she transitioned from visual art to filmmaking. The exhibition also toured to Dortmund (May-June 2010) and Dunaújváros (October-November 2009). The museum emphasizes Hungarian and East-Central European artists in its collection.
Key facts
- Judit Kele's performance 'I Am a Work of Art' (1979-85) was reconstructed in the exhibition 'Agents and Provocateurs' (2009-2010).
- Kele auctioned herself through a classified ad in Libération, marrying a French dancer to leave Hungary.
- The Budapest Ludwig Museum's exhibition 'Kind of Change' (March-May 2011) featured recently acquired works, including Kele's piece.
- Tanja Ostojić's 'Looking for a Husband with E.U. Passport' (2000-05) involved a photo ad and marriage to a German man for a visa.
- Tímea Oravecz's 'Time Lost' (2007) embroidered EU documents, highlighting bureaucratic hurdles post-Hungary's EU accession.
- The exhibition 'Agents and Provocateurs' traveled to Dunaújváros, Hungary (2009) and Dortmund, Germany (2010).
- Kele's work was absent from the 'Gender Check' exhibition (2009-2010) at MUMOK Vienna and Zachęta Warsaw.
- The Ludwig Museum acquired works by artists like Tamás Waliczky, Dóra Maurer, and Gyula Pauer between 2009-2011.
Entities
Artists
- Judit Kele
- Tanja Ostojić
- Tímea Oravecz
- Tamás Waliczky
- Dóra Maurer
- Gyula Pauer
- Ciprian Mureșan
- Mona Vătămanu
- Florin Tudor
- Milica Tomić
- VALIE EXPORT
- Andris Grinbergs
- Ewa Partum
- Olafur Eliasson
- Beata Hock
- Franciska Zólyom
- Bojana Pejić
- Klemens G.
Institutions
- Budapest Ludwig Museum
- School of Creative Media in Hong-Kong
- Budapest Academy of Applied Arts
- Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest
- Paris Biennial
- Libération
- MUMOK
- Zachęta National Gallery of Art
- Institute of Contemporary Art—Dunaújváros
- Hartware Medienkunstverein
- Macedonian Contemporary Art Center
- Gallery 35 in Berlin
- Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna
- Leipzig Centre for the History and Culture of East Central Europe
Locations
- Budapest
- Hungary
- Leipzig
- Germany
- Hong-Kong
- Paris
- France
- Vienna
- Austria
- Warsaw
- Poland
- Dunaújváros
- Dortmund
- Belgrade
- Serbia
- New Belgrade
- Düsseldorf
- Berlin
- Italy
- Spain
- Switzerland