László Beke's 1979 Sydney Biennale Section Explored East European Artistic Friendships
In 1979, the third Sydney Biennale featured the 'European Dialogue' section, curated by Hungarian art historian László Beke, who invited artists from Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. His focus was on friendship and collaboration, showcasing talents like Dóra Maurer and Tibor Hajas. Unfortunately, Beke was unable to obtain a visa for Sydney. His curatorial vision was influenced by prior interactions, notably a 1972 gathering of Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian artists in Hungary that examined linguistic ties. Additionally, Beke showcased the 'Anonymous Collective' at the 1973 Tendencies 5 exhibition in Zagreb, where he critiqued Eastern European viewpoints. His 1972 manifesto advocated for communication among socialist artists, prioritizing personal connections over national identities.
Key facts
- László Beke curated a section for the 1979 Sydney Biennale as his artwork based on friendships with East European artists.
- The 1972 meeting in Balatonboglár involved Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian artists exploring linguistic connections through dictionaries.
- Beke organized the 'Anonymous Collective' for the Tendencies 5 exhibition in Zagreb in 1973.
- Beke served as head of the Young Artists' Club in Budapest from 1974 to 1977, inviting regional artists.
- Exchanges with the Wrocław Recent Art Gallery occurred in 1976, featuring performances by Miklós Erdély.
- Beke's practice was influenced by Tomáš Štraus's theory that art anticipates social reality.
- The Sydney Biennale section included artists from Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia.
- Beke did not travel to Sydney due to visa issues.
Entities
Artists
- László Beke
- Nick Waterlow
- Magdaléna Radomska
- Magdalena Moskalewicz
- Sven Spieker
- Gábor Attalai
- Imre Bak
- Tomáš Štraus
- Anna Szeredi
- György Galántai
- Peter Bartoš
- Stano Filko
- Vladimír Popovič
- Rudolf Sikora
- J. H. Kocman
- Jiří Valoch
- Petr Štembera
- Árpád Ajtony
- Miklós Erdély
- Péter Halász
- Béla Hap
- Ágnes Háy
- György Jovánovics
- Péter Legéndy
- János Major
- László Méhes
- Gyula Pauer
- Szentjóby Tamás
- Ádám Tábor
- Péter Türk
- Eugenia Sikorova
- Mária Filková
- Gerta Pospíšilová
- Marijan Susovski
- László Lakner
- Dóra Maurer
- Endre Tót
- Želimir Koščević
- Abraham Moles
- Karel Miler
- Jan Mlčoch
- Tibor Gáyor
- János Gulyás
- Jan Świdziński
- Jean Sellem
- Stanisław Antosz
- Katarzyna Chierowska
- Lech Mrożek
- Piotr Olszański
- Anna Kutera
- Romuald Kutera
- Henryk Gajewski
- Zoran Popović
- Ana Lupaș
- Milan Knížák
- Raša Todosijević
- Marek Konieczny
- Jacek Stokłosa
- Anikó Bajkó
- Tibor Hajas
- Gergely Molnár
- László Najmányi
- Zsuzsa Szenes
- János Vető
- Endre Friedmann
- Josef Kroutvor
- Jenő Boriszov
- K. Cybulski
- Piotr Piotrowski
Institutions
- Sydney Biennale
- Art Gallery of New South Wales
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences
- Museum of Fine Arts-KEMKI
- Chapel Studio
- City Gallery of Contemporary Art
- Galerija Suvremene Unjetmosti
- AICA
- Galerija Studentskog Centra
- Young Artists' Club
- SUMUS
- Wrocław Recent Art Gallery
- St. Petri Gallery
- Remont Gallery
- First Slovak Investment s. r. o
- Hungarian Press Agency
- Prague National Gallery
- Ludwig Museum
- Georg Kargl Fine Arts
- Wrocław Contemporary Museum
- Városi Művészeti Múzeum
- Vintage Gallery
- Magyar Műhely
- KEMKI
- ARTMargins Online
- Frieze
- Artforum
- Hyperallergic
- Le Monde
- Time
- Pages
- Lobogó
- DuMont
- Routledge
- MIT Press
- CEU Press
- Beau Geste Press
- Hungart
- Artpool-Balassi
- Sodertorn University Press
Locations
- Sydney
- Australia
- Budapest
- Hungary
- Balatonboglár
- Bratislava
- Slovakia
- Brno
- Czechoslovakia
- Prague
- Zagreb
- Croatia
- Wrocław
- Poland
- Warsaw
- Krakow
- Cluj
- Romania
- Belgrade
- Yugoslavia
- Lund
- Sweden
- Pécs
- South Slovakia
- New York
- United States
- Köln
- Germany
- France
- Austria
- Wien
- Paris
- Győr
- Cambridge
- Stockholm
- Poznań