art KARLSRUHE 2023

4-7^th May, 2023
Stand Number: H3/K11

On the 20th anniversary of the International art fair, art KARLSRUHE, the Várfok Gallery, will present an outstanding selection of works on stand H3/K11, amongst more than 200 participating galleries. Works shown by the Várfok Gallery reflect defining moments of Hungarian art history which are closely linked to art events of the time in Germany.

The works of two renowned Hungarian artists, László Mulasics and János Szirtes, show the direction of the ‘Neuen Wilden Malerie’ or ‘Neo-Expressionism’ of 1980s Hungary. In the 1980s, political pressure on contemporary art relaxed. With the opening of borders, the possibility of travel and the resulting exchange with other artists, contemporary art in Hungary gained in significance, a change which was confirmed by exhibitions in important museums. At that time, the success stories of László Mulasics and János Szirtes began as both artists became part of the ‘New Sensibility’ group founded by the art historian Lóránd Hegyi, former Director of MUMOK in Vienna. The aim of the group was to bring together Hungarian artists who were engaged with new International trends in painting.

Mulasics’ large-scale works from this period were inspired by the monumental figures and colours of the Italian Transavantgarde and the expressiveness of German wild painting. The figurative nature of the compositions dissolves into strong gestures and thick layers of paint. Intense brushstrokes loosen the perspective of the paintings and transform the view into a two-dimensional, ornamental character.

János Szirtes is an extraordinarily versatile and influential artist within the Hungarian art scene. He is significant not only as a painter, but also as an Internationally acclaimed performer. In 1987, he was one of the Hungarian artists invited to ‘Documenta’ in Kassel. The painting ‘War/saw’ he created in the same year is organically linked to the main motif and concept of the performance presented at ‘Documenta’.

Also on show will be franyo aatoth’s newest works. Aatoth’s career began in the early 1980s in Paris, where he was supported by important artists such as Victor Vasarely and the world-famous pianist György Cziffra.

Young talent will be represented by the work of three brilliantly skilled artists: Anna Nemes‘s highly sensitive, transparent nudes, Kata Gaál‘s unique collage and montage works, and Máté Orr‘s newest imaginative, surreal compositions with allusion to the great master, Jan van Eyck. In addition, two sculptures by László Győrffy will be exhibited. Győrffy deals almost exclusively with human biology, in most cases in a provocative way. In 2021, he was an invited artist at the ‘OSTRALE’ Dresden Biennale, the third largest exhibition of contemporary art in Germany, in which he will participate again this June.

A major highlight of the Várfok Gallery stand will be the art of the 101-year-old Françoise Gilot. Gilot’s painting is a story of triumph which took a long time to receive the appreciation it deserves and now commands. She has had to prove herself as an artist on many occasions, finally being able to cast aside the label of ‘Picasso’s Muse’ and establish herself professionally as a first-class artist in her own right. Her works are in numerous significant private collections as well as prestigious museums and galleries worldwide including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The Várfok Gallery is proud to be the only European gallery to maintain a personal relationship with the artist and to represent her work.

We look forward to welcoming you at the Várfok Gallery stand in Hall 3 / K11.

Exhibited artist at art KARLSRUHE 2022:

franyo aatoth (H/F), Kata GAÁL (H), Françoise GILOT (F/USA), László GYŐRFFY (H), Levente HERMAN (H/RO), László MULASICS (H), Anna NEMES (H), Máté ORR (H), János SZIRTES (H)