Kristóf József Balogh is an artist born in Debrecen, currently living and working in Budapest. His first institutional solo exhibition will take place in the newly opened Project Space at the MODEM Centre for Modern and Contemporary Art.
Although the painterly qualities may deceive viewers, Balogh actually uses screenshots of mysterious incidents as source material, where one is not quite sure what is happening. This varied visual collection draws on a wide spectrum of references and brings them into play. The artist’s new series of anecdotal paintings for the exhibition often make unexpected shifts between cartoon characters, animals and human figures. These shifts can be seen as both references to the fluidity of (self-)identity and as reinforcing the intensity of abstract thinking and storytelling. In many cases, the opaque acrylic images are difficult to relate to each other, which further enhances the logic and narrative structure of their abstract representation. Balogh’s aim is not to encourage the viewer to quiet contemplation, but to create a receptive situation in which the viewer can respond directly to images stripped of their original context.
Curator: Török Krisztián Gábor
Date: 9 May – 7 July
Location: MODEM
Source: modemart.hu