CHAOS, 2005

Artists: Alexander Brener + Barbara Schurz, Fu Kunst, Erik Binder, Attila Galbovy, Barna Péli , Lia Perjovschi, Attila Stark

Contemporary culture can be interpreted in many ways. From the perspective of the general public, art is an incomprehensible field where the intentions, motivations, and reasons behind the appearance of artworks remain secret. Even though artists, curators, and institutional leaders work to bring the two sides—the viewer and the artist—closer together, we must face the fact that in public perception, the subject matter, meaning, and language of expression show such complexity that we can use a metaphor: chaos.

The exhibition's subtitle—"The Chaos of Art / The Art of Chaos"—can be read in many ways. In our presentation, we would like to draw a parallel between the overwhelming imagery and the defining experience of local and universal political and social life by asserting that artistic representation can have an infinite number of sources and forms of expression. The chaotic appearance of the work may refer to the mass production of art objects, which we can see in varying qualities from IKEA and KIKA stores to flea markets.

Our exhibition was also inspired by the current perception of contemporary visual art. We all know that reception is not without problems due to deficiencies in visual education. We experience that audiences often shut themselves off from contemporary art, saying there is no connection between the reality of the world as they experience it and the artists' worldview. This difference in perspective becomes even greater when viewers consider contemporary art an elitist intellectual game with no connection to reality. Unfortunately, this view sometimes determines our politicians' opinion of culture, which also results in reduced support for institutions—as was evident in the budget debate of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Dunaújváros. "Chaos" also conveys this experience, referring to our relationship with our funders: the values created by the Institute of Contemporary Art do not represent value in the eyes of the city leadership.

Chaos has meaning as a symbol. When manifested in the appearance of the artwork, it helps the viewer find the work's connection to reality. As mass production appears in our environment, it becomes part of our everyday lives. As symbols spread in infinite numbers on packaging materials and advertising posters, the number and meaning of commercial symbols applicable in art also continuously change and grow. Thus, the chaos of the world becomes part of art, and the chaos of culture becomes a paraphrase of the environment's unfathomable system.

The concept of chaos also looks at politics. It shows how participants in cultural life can respond to mass production and media images with different political positions on values, goals, and concepts. The exhibition displays artists and artist groups who use commercial symbols in artistic expression and combine them with other elements and symbols. In this exhibition, art appears more as an idea than a product, showing how creativity relates to the experience of our daily lives and society.