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On the 7th of December from 5:00 p.m., the exhibition “Learning from nature? – Botany” opens in the Centre for Modern and Contemporary Art.
Debrecen has occupied a special place in the history of Hungarian botany for centuries. With the Herbarium (1578) by Péter Juhász Méliusz and the two-volume Hungarian Herbarium (1807), the basic handbook of Sámuel Diószegi and Mihály Fazekas, the city has long been considered the Hungarian centre of botany and natural sciences.
MODEM’s latest exhibition builds on this diverse heritage, showcasing Debrecen’s unique nature collections and attractions, such as the Debrecen Reformed College Museum, the University of Debrecen Botanical Garden and the Hortobágy National Park.
“Learning from nature? – Botany” exhibition is a good example of everything we love about MODEM. The artworks on display were all created for the exhibition. They are the fruit of workshops, the joint thinking of several disciplines, the exchange of experiences between artists at the beginning of their careers and experienced artists, the result of collaboration between artists from Debrecen and from far away countries. On the other hand they are connected to the history and culture of Debrecen by a thousand threads, which, I am confident, will strengthen the position of our city and MODEM on the global cultural map, on the basis of experience and value, ” Executive Director of MODEM Centre for Modern and Contemporary Art Katalin Vizi emphasised, who will also give a toast at the opening of the exhibition.
How can the cultural field transform traditional ways of understanding nature? How can we encourage new connections between culture and environment? How can cultural spaces actively participate in the challenges of a human-dominated era? In the midst of climate change, in a growing era of ecological instability, these narratives can also offer alternative ways of connecting to our planet
MODEM’s latest temporary exhibition revolves around 3 main themes, the observation of Anthropocene mosaic landscapes, the reinterpretation of natural symbolism, and the application of speculative storytelling. From the 7th of December, visitors will have the opportunity to explore and even rethink different ways of living with nature.
The exhibition will be opened by Tamás Korpa, Alföld Prize-winning poet, followed by a guided tour with artists and curators. There will also be an opportunity for a communal stroll in MODEM’s inner garden.
The artworks on display were created during the Debrecen International Artists’ Colony’s intensive two-week summer workshop, which MODEM organised for the 9th time in the summer of 2024. The invited artists, architects, musicians, and designers immersed themselves in the rich natural history of Debrecen and its surroundings, stimulating both artistic research and interdisciplinary collaborations.
The exhibition features works by CENTRALA – Małgorzata Kuciewicz & Simone De Iacobis (PL/IT), Daniel Godinez Nivón (MX/NL)Zsófia Szonja Illés (HU), Katalin Kortmann-Járay & Karina Mendreczky (HU), Eszter Júlia Kuzma(HU), Gaja Mežnarić Osole & Krater Collective (SI), Thea Lazăr (RO), Bálint Szabó (HU), Nóra Szabó(HU), Dorottya Vékony (HU).
The curators of the exhibition are: Attila Horányi, Szabolcs Süli-Zakar, Gábor Krisztián Török, Dorottya Vékony.
More information about the opening can be found here.
Date:7 December, 2024 – 9 March, 2025
Location: MODEM Art Center
Source and photo credit:dehir.hu