AN UNPRECEDENTED PHOTOGRAPHY ART EXHIBITION IN ORADEA!
The "Euro Foto Art" Gallery, the Exhibition Center of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), part of the Oradea City Museum (MoO), a branch of the Criș Country Museum Oradea – Complex Museum, hosted on Saturday at 11:00 AM the opening of a remarkable exhibition by Hungary's most acclaimed photographic artist, Keleti Éva. At the venerable age of 92, the artist could not attend the event due to health reasons. Entitled "Subjective", the exhibition features dozens of large-format photographs and series in classic dimensions. As Keleti explained: "I took Lia Pokorni to Városliget for a carousel ride and asked János Kulka to lie down in a bathtub while fully dressed. I brought Zsófi Tarján into a derelict building surrounded by trash, with rats running around, graffiti on the walls, yet the final results achieved a beautiful harmony. The images thus blend extremes and subjectivity. I believe this exhibition is innovative in many respects. I felt compelled to photograph new images of each artist this time and share what I think now as I near the end of my career. I was delighted to express my thoughts and questions about them in an extreme way, and I hope the community will embrace this.” Born in Budapest (HU) on August 18, 1931, Éva Keleti is a Hungarian photographic artist who has received prestigious awards such as the Kossuth Prize and the BélaBalázs Prize. In the 1960s, she founded a theatrical photography school. Her images have captured outstanding performances in Hungarian theater history and special moments of celebrated artists. Keleti also worked for the Hungarian News Agency MTI, the Új Tükör magazine, the internal exhibitions of World Press Photo, and served as president of the Hungarian Photojournalists’ Association. Despite her age, Éva Keleti remains active, with plans for new projects next year. The opening ceremony of the exhibition (broadcast live at Facebook Link) was introduced by Dr. Diana Iancu, a representative of MoO. She praised the fact that the last exhibition of the year, number 623, showcased the works of such a renowned Hungarian photographic artist. Dr. Iancu also highlighted the exceptional collaboration between MoO and the International Association "Euro Foto Art" (AIEFA), which resulted in 11 international photography art exhibitions in 2023 featuring works from Egypt, Italy, Japan, Poland, Hungary, and Ukraine. Photographic artist Ștefan Tóth István AFIAP, ESFIAP, president of AIEFA, shared his long-standing friendship with Éva Keleti, which began decades ago in Budapest. He commended the artistic level of the photographs, presented for the first time in Romania, and expressed gratitude for the artist’s message, shared with the audience during the event. Additionally, a plaque was awarded to Éva Keleti to mark the occasion. The opening ceremony included musical interludes provided by Thurzó Sándor József, a viola artist representing the Cultural Group “Duo Sola Fide” in Oradea. He performed several pieces from the Hungarian repertoire, including “Esti frumoasamama lui Dumnezeu” (Szép vagy Isten édesanyaja) by Bihari Sándor, “Ave Maria” by Boros Beatrice, “Ave maris stella” by Liszt Ferenc, and “Seară la secui” by Bartók Béla. Organized by AIEFA in partnership with Summit Agro Romania and under the auspices of FIAP, recognized by UNESCO, the exhibition will remain open to the public until January 3, 2023. It can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday, between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Additionally, some of the exhibited works will be displayed on screens in Oradea's public transport vehicles, thanks to a partnership between AIEFA and OTL SA.