Lázár Imre – Nyakas Miklós: A Hajdúsági Nemzetközi Művésztelep húsz éve 1964-1983 / Hajdúsági Közlemények 12. (Hajdúböszörmény, 1983)

Tartalom

The fact that the workshop became international contributed not only to the increase of the circle of its public but to the variation of the activities, too. Thus artists with different tastes and traditions had fruitful discussions. Resulting from these discussions everybody agreed that the only critérium for a good artistic piece is its aesthetic value and that what is required is realism. The ten year anniversary of the workshop was held in 1973. In this year there were altogether 31 artists in the workshop from six socialist countries and Hungary. The organization committee decided in this year that the number of those invited must be reduced so that the financial conditions be more favourable. It was also decided that the only condition of the invitation should be artistic level. Also, a new and detailed constitution was made and the number of the members of the organization committee was raised. It was as well decided that the artists taking part should offer a piece of theirs to the "Hajdúsági" Museum. In autumn, 1974 the case of artistic workshops sponsored by town councils was reorganized in Hungary and they were as well specialised. Thus, considering the traditions of the "Hajdúság" International Fine Arts Workshop from this time on only painters and graphic artists were invited. The number of those invited was limited to twenty and this has not basically changed since then. The year 1976 saw great changes in both the leadership and the membership of the workshop. It was in this year that a good number of considerable Hungarian fine artists took part in the activities for the first time. Thus the pictures exhibited in this year were on a higher level thematically, aesthatically, technically and so forth. Artistically the workshop became stabilized on this level by 1978. By this time it was a rigid condition that the artists invited should be members of the Hungarian Fine Arts Foundation. The only exception from this has been Ferenc Bíró, who died later in a tragic way. It has already been a tradition that artists from different countries must introduce the workshop to the characteristics of their home countries on the so-called national evenings. It has also been a tradition that the workshop is opened with the exhibition of one of the artists present and that during the time of the workshop there is an exhibition in the "Hajdúsági" Museum. The raise of the artistic level has really been fritful as in 1977 the "Hajdúsági" International Fine Arts Workshop was registerd by the UNESCO. On the proposal of the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and the Union of the Hungarian Fine and Design Artists the workshop got registered by the UN-UNESCO-AJAP, too. Mention must still be made of the Miklós Káplár Memorial House which was opened in 1978. It belongs to the "Hajdúsági" Museum and it has been a pilgrim place of the guests of the workshop. The year 1980 started with a tragic mourn. Graphic artist Kálmán Csohány died in that year (b. 1925). He was the artistic leader of the workshop and, besides, an outstanding figure of the fine arts in Hungary. It was in the "Hajdúsági" Museum that for the first time a memorial exhibition of his was set up. For propagating the activities of the workshop there has been a so-called "Hajdúság-Hortobágy" exhibition, for the first time opened in October, 1980 in Debrecen by the head of the town council of Hajdúböszörmény. There were similar exhibitions opened in Budapest and in Gyöngyös in 1981 and in 1982, respectively. The Winter Exhibition of 1981 in Hajdúböszörmény was meant as a sign of continuation throughout the year. In 1981 there was a ministerial order which solved the problem of sponsoring the workshop as it had been unresolved according to the law. On the basis of this order there were new organizational and activity rules compiled. It was in this year, too, that the "Hajdúsági" Gallery was opened within the "Hajdúsági" Museum and thus the workshop was given a permanent room for exhibitions. This is of great importance as it is the first exhibition room of fine arts enhousing contemporary Hungarian and Central European painting and graphic art. Since the workshop was declared international there have been more than eighty artists invited to Hajdúböszörmény from abroad. The fact that the workshop is of international character has contributed to the forming of good international relations well characterized by changes of artists, too. Similarly, more than ten of the workshop's Hungarian members have been to workshops abroad during the last five years. 45