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by Nina Czegledy
MEDIA MODEL
 On August 31, 2000 at 6 in the evening the Media Model
exhibition opened in the Mucsarnok/Kunsthalle, Budapest.
At 5.30 many busy hands were still installing and adjusting
computers. But just a little later (doesn't this sound familiar?)
special guest Siegfried Zielinski, Founding Rector, Academy of
Media Arts, Cologne, inaugurated the comprehensive show,
which served as the introductory event of an exhibition series
organized within the framework of the millennial cultural
program in Hungary.
Beyond a historical retrospective and a contemporary
overview, Media Model proved to be a landmark project,
"For the first time in Hungary, media artists were
considered equal partners in a significant cultural event."
- said Zoltan Szegedy-Maszak, one of the exhibitors and
also one of the show organizers.
The participation of nearly 80 artists, might have deflected
tight curatorial concepts - however in addition to the
exhibition, the plethora of events including performances,
video screenings, presentations and public lectures,
provided a much needed comprehensive perspective
- the first opportunity for Hungarian audiences to view
the state of Hungarian media art for the past decade
- up to the present.
"Only two years ago it would have been impossible to
find enough Hungarian works, yet today there is more than
it can be accommodated in the show" - said Miklos
Peternak exhibition co-curator (with Laszlo Beke)
in our interview.
 Miklos Peternak would know. He is a key figure in the
Hungarian mediascape and as the director of C3 Center
for Culture and Communication and the Chair of the
Intermedia Department of the Academy of Fine Arts, he
has a thorough understanding of the situation.
The wide range of works on show at Media Model, clearly
mirrored the diverse variety of current activities and
reflected on the ancestry and emergence of this art
form in the country.
BACKGROUND
Beyond the exhibition, the roots of the Hungarian
contemporary media art evolution were of great interest
to me. How is this vigorous activity motivated? Does it
stem from the experimental film tradition? From
better access possibilities than in the surrounding
countries? Who were the instigators? Miklos Peternak's
extensive knowledge of contemporary Hungarian cultural
history with a specific emphasis on film/video and media
arts helped to reveal the environmental context
of the media revolution.
This article is mostly based on my interviews with
Peternak and Szegedy-Maszak and is intended to
illustrate Hungarian media art developments
through organizational (educational) and
individual artist viewpoints. Of course many others
are involved in the Hungarian media-scene, however
within the framework of this text, it is impossible to
investigate in depth all the contributions.
Peternak primarily credits the Hungarian political,
economical and technical developments at the turn
of the nineteenth century as a significant source for
ensuing growth. The major innovators of this period,
found it very important to create an embracing cultural
context. These initiatives proved to be decisive factors
for the subsequent decades.
In the twenties and thirties, Laszlo Moholy Nagy
and several other Hungarians affiliated with the Bauhaus
contributed greatly with cutting edge innovations to the
art/technology discourse. The hiatus of the war
years were followed in the fifties by a rediscovery of
the "Bauhaus" concepts. On the surface, the themes
between the sixties and the thirties seem distant from
each other, however, through the work of certain
individuals (beneath the turbulent public events)
a continuum is observable. For example, Miklos Erdely,
a leading avant garde multidisciplinary artist - and by
his own admission an "aesthetic catalyst"- whose work
extended to experimental films and videos, revived
particular trends initiated by Lajos Kassak a seminal
figure of the thirties.
In the seventies, the slowly slackening political
structure and the expanding borders contributed
to an opening towards new artistic expressions.
Several artist became interested beyond photography
in new technologies, primarily in film. The Bela Balazs
Studio (BBS) for film has been established as early as 1961.
While this experimental Studio was supposed to serve the
purpose of a well supervised playground for young aspiring
film directors, BBS became more and more open for those
who have not been involved officially in film production,
such as Gabor Body who graduated first from philosophy and
later became an internationally known film and
video maker. Body, producing his first video in 1976 was
the first person in Hungary to work in this medium in
an artistic context. Infermental, Body's annually edited
international video series was widely hailed as "the art
magazine" of the eighties. Collecting and collating the work
of people working in remote global locations, uniquely
bridged the information gap till the new communication
forms appeared.
Art video production started in the early eighties in the
BBS Studio. At this time here has been no foreshadowing
of the communication revolution or networking practices.
"What the web means today - said Peternak - seemed like
a futuristic sci-fi story".
Towards the end of the eighties the wind of political
change was clearly felt, bringing some academic
reforms. At the Academy of Fine Art changes came
about by pressure from the students in the summer
of 1990. As a result of the student's initiatives, the
Academy invited 15 new teachers and simultaneously
established two new faculties, one of them the Intermedia
department survived and is flourishing to this day.
Several fine arts students became involved
and worked enthusiastically in Intermedia The first
graduating class was very strong and the
hyperactivity of those early years sustained the
department over the last decade.
Zoltan Szegedy Maszak was one of those fine art
students who influenced intermedia developments
and whose professional life became influenced
by the changes. Zoltan's interest in computers
dates from his high school days. He started to program
on primitive machines and built installations
-utilizing the very capability of those early tools.
After graduation Szegedy-Maszak was asked to stay on
to teach at the Academy.
INTERMEDIA
 From the beginning, Intermedia, has been aimed at
teaching newly developed technologies as applied to
the arts. In the hierarchical educational structure, it
was important to create an environment where no artistic
medium is forbidden, where the proper use of communication
tools became a part of the curriculum. At the Academy
computer related education was initiated by Tamas Waliczky
with absolutely minimal or non existent resources.
While to this day the department operates on limited
resources, the work produced here and exhibited
at Media Model testifies to inspired creativity.
The Academy of Applied Arts and Design is yet
another venue where successful student works
are produced. In addition to the Academies, theoretical
and practical studies in media communication, net
journalism etc. are taught at several Hungarian
universities. A wide range of so called "amateur" film,
video and computer organizations continue to operate
- some of them, such as the "Visual Economic Brigade "
producing important alternative art works.
Dissemination of media art remained a problem.
It was only in 1991 that a Hungarian exhibition,
Sub Voce was dedicated to video installations.
The three Metaforum symposiums in the nineties and
the publications of the Media Research group contributed
greatly to theoretical and conceptual developments. At the
crucial point, when the Intermedia department became more established -the now famous Butterfly effect project, an
international media art exhibition and symposium was
organized, bringing wide recognition to Hungarian media
initiatives and eventually leading to the foundation of
C3 Center for Culture and Communication.
C3
Located in the historical Castle district, C3 is buzzing day
or night with activity.  The goal of C3 was to establish a
space which serves as a catalizator for technological,
cultural and art possibilities. The main priority in the
beginning was on creating public internet awareness.
Public access was provided for 10 hours on 8 terminals
each day. Courses for children and students were
established.  The Pararadio audio lab and net radio
established in 1997, remains an active popular forum.
The international residency programs brought well known
artists such as Bill Seaman and emerging artists, such as
Alexei Shulgin, Olia Lialina and JODI - (who became famous
only later on) to Budapest. At the same time residencies
were open to local artists and it is remarkable to note
- said Szegedy-Maszak, current program director of C3 -
that there was no big gap between the work of the local
and the invited artists. The access provided for local artists,
also ensured possibilities for Hungarians to show abroad.
In a few years, the original C3 goals were achieved. Today
institutional access is widely provided in Budapest
and there are many web servers and internet cafes
across the country.
 Recently, C3 had to choose between closing the program
or becoming an independent restructured organization.
C3 chose the later and as a consequence the financial
security and support of the operational budget became a
major priority. Support remained available for selected art
projects. Many international connections continue
to operate, including collaboration with the ENKART
network, Ars Electronica, V2 and ZKM.
ZOLTAN SZEGEDY-MASZAK
Over the last decade, Zoltan Szegedy-Maszak remained
involved both with the Academy and C3 (simultaneous
work involvement is standard practice for many Hungarians)
while he has created an impressive body of work of
his own. Demedusator, a web/vrml project developed in
collaboration with Marton Fernezelyi is one of those works,
"a shared virtual world developed by its visitors". By his
own admission, solo creation was never of much
interest to Szegedy- Maszak. He likes to program,
to develop the embodiment himself, but he has nearly
always developed projects in collaboration with others.
The Promenade project (created with Marton Fernezelyi)
illustrates yet another creative side of team-work.
Using a handheld navigation device, the Promenade
visitor can investigate virtual rooms by walking in real
space, thus enabling the "participant" to examine the
connections between "real" and "virtual" spaces. The
invention of a position tracking system was one of the
major byproducts of Promenade, which later became
an integral part of the installation. Typically in most
of the team's work a newly invented element is included.
Small Talk, the latest collaborative installation
by Szegedy Maszak, Marton Fernezelyi and Robert
Langh is based on robot chat and was premiered at the
Media Model exhibition. Szegedy-Maszak was involved
on more than one level in this show. Many of the exhibited
works, 16 in all, were produced under his supervision in C3.
For him it was gratifying to see that in a short decade
Hungarian artists were able to fit into the interactive
thinking mode and produce effective work.
WORKS
Media Model was focused on the presentation of
important early works, specific invited projects,
educational collaborations, the most current work
of emerging Hungarian artists and projects developed
in C3. From digital prints such as Eva Gyarmati's
Objects To Be Viewed With One Eye, to Name Written
on the Water, a Hydrography by Julius Gyula to Katalin
Gyorgy's Un-Titled , Canvas, neon composition, where
the neon was visible only through tiny holes punched
in the black surface -every form and "unform" of
technology, could be experienced at Media Model.
Transitional Spaces by Gyorgy Legrady (who divides
his time between Europe and the USA), was undoubtedly
one of the most ambitious interactive installations
on show. The visitor first noticed vertical columns of
blurred letters on a black wall. Cameras connected to
motion sensors monitored the visitor's movement and
when he/she stopped to inspect the installation the
letters gradually became focused, following the
movement of the visitor and providing an elegant
and subtle form of interaction.
Screen Saver with Entertainment a mixed media
(video, embroidery) by Eszter Agnes Szabo presented
for me the best installation for whimsy. The monitor
saver according to the artist is a new variety on the
traditional "blessed" kitchen embroidery seen in
every country kitchen and now a collectors item.
Media Model was broadened by adjunct events
such as the excellent performance of Vacuum TV:
The Mechanical TV, entertaining a packed house.
on opening night. Or the sound and light play
of the "Self-tuning piano" which presented
a "live" electronic organ interfaced with an
artificial neuron-network. On the lighter side
one could enjoy the performance of the TABULA
RASA interdisciplinary brigade, while serious
programmers were engrossed by the presentation
of the Storygenerator project by Erika Katalina
Pasztor. Attention was paid to the media culture
of the surrounding countries, including the
presentation by Apsolutno founded in Novi Sad,
Yugoslavia and Kei Sei's program of contemporary
Slovakian videos.
CONCLUSION
Media Model certainly proved that a new generation
of media artists appeared in the region, specifically
in Hungary. A new generation, whose work might
perhaps be technically simpler, but is conceptually
equal to most works shown internationally.
Up till now the very validity of media art was often
questioned in a wider Hungarian cultural
context. The popularity of the Media Model exhibition
proved for once and all, the resourceful creative
diversity of the participating artists and the serious
interest of the general public in Hungarian Media Art.
Nina Czegledy
NINA CZEGLEDY, an independent media artist, curator and writer, divides
her time between Canada and Europe. Her current Digitized Bodies Virtual
Spectacles, collaborative (Canada/Hungary) project includes a series of
on-line and on-site events in 2000 and 2001. Former presentations: CAiiA1/2,
ISEA98, Invencao99. Most recent curated exhibitions of electronic art: Choice
(Stockholm, Skinnskatteberg, 1999), Touch:Touche (Toronto, Montreal,
Regina,1999), Gisèle Trudel (Toronto, 1999) Aurora (Toronto 1998).
The Aurora Universalis/Makrolab collaboration with Stephen Kovats
initiated in
1997, includes work-in -progress presentations at SpaceArt99 and ISEA98.
Interactive digital works: Aurora, Aurora CD ROM (Virtual Revolutions
project), the Digitized Bodies CD ROM, Triptych-Her Story and the
Y2KMonsters interactive installations. Czegledy is co-curataror with
Iliyana Nedkova of the Crossing Over Project (Sofia, Novi Sad, Ljubljana,
Colombus
(1996-2000) produced close to twenty videos and curated touring
programs which were shown in 28 countries over the last decade.
Most recent publications in: Reframing Consciousness, ed. R. Ascott
(1999 and 2000); "Mediated Bodies" with Andre P.Czegledy In:
The body caught in the computer intestines and beyond, Ed.Marina
Grzinic(2000); Digitized Bodies Virtual Spectacles with Andre P.Czegledy
(2000, Futures, UK); Transcribing the Body, with Andre P.Czegledy
(Anomalies, in press) Media Revolution, ed. Stephen Kovats (1999).
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