Gyergyádesz László, ifj. (szerk.): Békesség nektek! (Kecskemét, 2017)
The Contemporary Christian Iconographical Biennale and the art collection of Kecskemét
Despite the fact that Christian iconography is particularly rich, the topic of each biennale will always be dominant concerning the thematic composition of the collection. Following the test-exhibition in 2000, for the first occasion in 2002, we chose the scene of the crucifixion and its most important symbol, the cross, while in the spring of 2005 the Book of Genesis, Chapter 1-11 was the given theme for the artists. (There were many people at both opening ceremonies and the opening speeches on Christian art were given by Zsuzsanna Erdélyi and Katalin Dávid.) At the 3rd biennale in 2006 the topic was the altar, while the 4th biennale was about the Parables of Jesus. In 2009/2010 the iconographical programme was the Apocalypse and the Book of Revelation. The 6th exhibition was about angels in the spring of 2013 and the 7th one was about children and childhood in 2015. The latest biennale in 2016 attracted a huge interest. After the biennale invitation (Hungarian saints and the saints of Hungary) 222 artists applied with 222 artworks from which the jury chose 122 works by 122 artists to be displayed and included in the catalogue. Although we have been criticized, we have encouraged in contrast to genre-specific series the simultaneous presence of all fields of fine arts and applied arts at our exhibitions, which have gradually been approaching each other through the last decades creating-currently considered less unauthorized-border crossing.The various materials, techniques and methods can provide the artists with a great number of possibilities when creating a work of art in accordance with a certain iconographical programme. (For example, the exploitation of the symbolism of light in the case of glass or enamel works.) The collection is diverse regarding its genres (e.g. textile arts, painting, goldsmiths, enamel art, graphic art and sculpture); moreover, it can also be considered heterogeneous from the perspective of artistic tendencies. It is important as well as fortunate that all concepts, mentioned in the first line of the essay, could be matched with a great artwork from the collection. László Gyergyádesz Jr. Móra Ferenc Prize awarded art historian Founding curator of the biennale and the collection 12
