Exhibitions on Roma culture opened at Fekete ház
Two new exhibitions, focusing on Roma culture, opened at the Fekete ház exhibition space in Szeged.
"From The Workshop Of My Soul" – an exhibition showcasing the works of naïve gypsy painter János Balázs
An exhibition titled Lelkem műhelyéből (ENG: From The Workshop Of My Soul) featuring paintings of the famous gypsy painter and poet János Balázs (1905-1977), opened on the ground floor of Fekete ház on Thursday, April 25. The audience can see an interesting selection of less frequently seen drawings in addition to the better-known paintings of the artist who created a unique visual world.
Balázs became semi-orphan in his childhood, after which the family moved to the gypsy settlement of Pécskődomb in Salgótarján, where they lived in a self-built hut. Balázs grew up in extreme poverty, then he started painting and writing poems. After being a prisoner of war, he lived in seclusion upon returning home – he continued to work as a kind of hermit. His friends and admirers supplied him with canvas and paint so that he could create.
The material for the János Balázs exhibition at Fekete ház arrived from the Dornyay Béla Museum in Salgótarján. The museums in Szeged and Salgótarján have maintained a good relationship for many years and already had several joint projects.
The János Balázs exhibition, on the ground floor of Fekete ház, will be open until September 22, 2024, daily between 10:00 and 18:00.
Fashion and activism for traditions and integration – Romani Design exhibition in Szeged
Romani Design, founded in 2010, is the world's first Roma fashion studio. It aims to support the integration of Roma communities with the help of fashion based on Roma traditions. They design their collections in the spirit of social responsibility, along the lines of a message they want to convey. Romani Design clothes, jewelry, and accessories build on Roma traditions in a modern way.
Erika and Helena Varga, the founders and designers of the brand, create quality, handcrafted design products. By reusing textile waste creatively, they show their commitment to sustainability. For instance, they use the waste to craft beautiful bag patterns and earrings. Romani Design is the first widely known brand that proudly represents Roma culture and its connections to Hungarian culture.
The exhibition was opened by cultural anthropologist, museologist, and ethnographer Szilvia Czingel – the exhibition's curator – who emphasized that Romani Design uses fashion as a communication language to connect minority and majority cultures.
"Without such an event as today's, we would not be able to carry this struggle, this burden, this bag on our backs, because it is certainly full of a lot of things. Often with malice, lots of stereotypes, exclusion, and lots of hurt. This is not just the story of the two of us, but of our community to which we belong. The Gypsies of the world live in many different communities, under different circumstances, and people think about us and them in very different ways, but at the same time we share a common fate: exclusion, sometimes abuse, and the fact that our children were given much fewer chances from the moment they were born, than what they deserve" - Erika Varga said at the end of the exhibition opening.
The exhibition Romani Design Fashion Art - With Activism for Traditions can be viewed on the first floor of Fekete ház until September 22, 2024, daily between 10:00 and 18:00.
Photos: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify
