Community Art Work
“Community art”, which is what communal arts projects are called in Anglo-Saxon terminology, has largely spread in Western Europe since the 1960s as a general term for a kind of art creation. The essence of this is, that with visual artworks made for a given community (school, communal institution, city district etc), design of the work and in certain situations execution and craftsmanship of the work be carried out by members of that community according to those members’ abilities and readiness to participate.
In our times there is an especially big need for community building, for such activities which build bridges between individuals and smaller or larger communities, so that we can learn to think together, and realise that joint efforts and time spent together can bring us closer to each other. Jointly we can more easily cope with emerging difficulties and by giving our energy together develop ourselves further.
The Illyés 55, 2019-2021
The Illyés Gyula Secondary school celebrates it's 55th Anniversary by commissioning a painted tile external community artwork.
The work features texts by Illyés Gyula selected by the writers István Kemény, Anna Szabó T. and György Dragomán.
SJRG-main entrance stairway community artwork , 2019 -2020
SJRG-main entrance community artwork , 2018
Sylvester János Reformed High School - porcelain relief and mosaic at the main entrance gate.
Address: Budapest, Pillangó park 3, 1149
Poem by Anna Szabó T. : KözTér 18, 2017
Cycle of the Seasons, Budaörs Pensioners Club , 2016
The turning of centuries and the passing seasons of a human life go in similar cycles. That’s why it’s important that the generations recognise and help each other – that they twine together a common thread. What was natural in traditional culture is today in the civilised world a necessity – for example, projects to create community artworks. When an artwork for the wall of the Budaörs Pensioners’ Club is made by the nursery children, grammar-school children, and retired people of the city, when the handiwork of 5-year-olds and 70-year-olds is in fact literally the imprint of their hands and becomes a joint piece of work, the real miracle is the miracle of joint artistic creation. »»
The Illyés Columns, 2015
How is it possible to make an artwork and at the same time interactive and truly communal space out of an uninteresting school entrance? With a community artwork. Today, if a visitor, student, or parent walks between these columns they cannot help but start browsing the quotes they find there. The entrance has not just been made into an artwork, but into a colourful, exciting public space filled with messages with something worth saying, and at the same time into an interactive communal place. With this, it perfectly expresses and embodies the Budaörs Gyula Illyés Grammar School spirit. »»
Bretzfeld - Budaörs twin town 25th anniversary wall mural, 2014
“We are Partners from 1989 to 2014” Where are our roots? asks the communal artwork. It is rare that it’s possible to bring together older, serious people to make such joint artwork together. In Kinga Ráthonyi’s and Neil Wolstenholme’s community project the people of Budaörs gifted some of their land to people travelling from a distance, the same way those living in distant Bretzfeld had prepared their gifts, so they could leave a trace in the place of their roots. »»
FISE (SYDA - Studio of Young Designers Association) Small Gallery, facade, Mátranovák, 2013
“At the foot of the Mátra hills, at the end of the village” / The small village of Mátranovák gave a house to applied artists to come, to do good for the community with their spirit and their talent if they felt the urge. And indeed, the young applied-arts students replied renovating a summer kitchen building through community artwork which now enchants tourists and became the pride of Mátranovák. »»
The Illyés Roundabout, 2012
What can you do, if you’re given a concrete-walled roundabout to start from? How can you put at the same time glass-mosaic, photo-mosaic, porcelain, put such work onto a wall, so that out of it all you don’t get a mess but give form to a unique and unified artwork? How is it possible to design something when you don’t know who will put which pieces into the mix? How is it possible to design something together with the people of a small town, Budaörs, on Facebook? How is it possible to create something jointly with 120 people in a weekend workshop (only one of the several workshops)? The colourful Budaörs roundabout answered all these questions. This large-scale community artwork proved successful, and became a distinctive, symbolic point of the town. »»
„More Colourful More Loveable”- Mapei Kft. community art competition winner, Szombathely, 2012
“There is only one knowledge, the rest is just extras: Beneath you the earth, above you the sky, inside you the ladder.” wrote Sándor Weöres. This motto served as an emblem for the Vas County Regional Children’s Protection Service Children’s Home. In the spring of 2012, Mapei Magyaroszág Kft. Advertised a tender for creative artworks entitled “More colourful, more loveable”. The children’s home at Szombathely won the tender. According to the basic concept the quote given above would be followed on the walls of the communal reception room of the building by a creative piece themed around the four times of day, the Moon and the Sun, with the children of the institute taking an active part in the creation. »»
The Gate Illyés, 2011
If a school is unique, then the entrance cannot be every day in style – it’s natural to expect its mode of construction to mirror the spirit of the school, that is for it to be made as a communal art creation. The character of Illyés Grammar School, innovation, creativity, openness – all these are symbolised by this work and how it came into being. »»
"Magic Snake & Magic Snail" Treasures Kindergarten, Pomáz, 2001
