Photovisions – new exhibition open at Kiss Kunszt Gallery
Two prominent figures of the Hungarian contemporary art scene, Sándor Aranyi and Lőrinc Popovics, unveiled their latest joint exhibition, Photovisions (Fényképzetek), today at the Kiss Kunszt Gallery in Szeged.
The exhibition fosters a unique dialogue between photography and sculpture, inviting viewers into a dynamic interplay of visual forms. It spans two levels of the gallery, offering an immersive experience. At the opening, art writer Tihamér Novotny praised the artists' work, while musician László Csák provided a captivating musical backdrop.
Sándor Aranyi is a painter and a leading figure in the visual arts scene of the Southern Great Plain region, recognized for both his artistic achievements and his role as an organizer. From 1982 to 2013, he taught at the Department of Art and Art History at the SZTE Juhász Gyula Faculty of Education, serving as an associate professor and head of the department from 1992 until his retirement.
A driving force in the local art community, he leads the SZÖG-ART Art Association, serves as a board member and regional representative of the National Association of Hungarian Artists, and is a founding member of the Csongrád Artists' Colony. He is also the visionary behind the Csongrád Plein Air International Art Camp, launched in 1991. Additionally, he founded and chairs the Arts Committee of the Szeged Academic Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and is a member of the Szeged Foundation’s Arts Board.
Aranyi’s “light paintings” uniquely blend traditional artistic techniques with modern technology. Light is the central element of his work, which he employs dynamically and creatively to shape his distinctive creative vision.
Lőrinc Popovics is a sculptor and a distinguished figure in contemporary Hungarian sculpture. For decades, he worked as an art school teacher and lecturer at the Department of Art and Art History at the SZTE Juhász Gyula Faculty of Education.
His artistic practice is defined by the fusion of traditional sculptural techniques with a modern visual language. Minimalism, abstraction, and an experimental approach to materials are key characteristics of his work. A central element of his art is the dynamic interplay between stone and glass, which he masterfully unites in a harmonious balance.
In his sculptures, stone embodies permanence, stability, and the raw power of nature, while glass, with its translucency and play of light, conveys fragility, lightness, and a sense of the metaphysical – evoking inner energies and spiritual dimensions.
The two artists have known each other for a long time and frequently collaborate, cultivating a personal and professional relationship that deepens through their shared creative process. The Photovisions exhibition highlights how Aranyi’s “light paintings” breathe new life into Popovics’s sculptures.
Aranyi reinterprets these sculptures through photographic paraphrases, capturing their details with a distinctive perspective and technique. In doing so, he not only offers a fresh vision of Popovics’s original works but also refines a unique artistic approach – one that has become his signature.
The exhibition is free to visit and will be on display at the Kiss Kunszt Gallery until March 20, 2025.
Photos: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify
