Renáta Szabó (HU): Bridge
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„How can our individual self-determination change due to the effects of external political events?” A six-hour long performance in public space and an installation about the collective Hungarian powerlessness.
In creating her public space action and video installation Renáta Szabó, MA student of MOME (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest) was inspired by a personal experience in a decision-making situation. This experience led her to the question of how a person’s self-determination can be distorted by external factors, and the problem of collective powerlessness among the citizenry of Hungary. The project aims to be thought provoking as to how we judge the reality of the cultural and political arena we find ourselves in – whether we ourselves define this arena, or if it is defined for us. The basic ideas behind the performance itself are contrasted with and complemented by a physically draining, repetitive public space action. The opening event of Bridge is a six-hour long performance: a crossing of Erzsébet Bridge burdened by work and helplessness as the artist carriers rocks between the two ends of the bridge in an endless and useless way, pointing to the parallels between being overworked, feeling impotent because of high (self-)expectations and the feeling of collective political powerlessness in Hungary. This transforms the real, physical bridge into a symbol connecting intuitive, negative self-determination and fictional political powerlessness and determination as envisioned by the artist. The event series is completed after the performance with the exhibition of an installation about the tensions between personal and political expectations. Artist: Renáta Szabó Time and Location: Free program. |