The collaboration between the Hungarian National Bank (MNB) Arts and Culture and Collegium Hungaricum Berlin (CHB) has led to the launch of an exhibition featuring contemporary Hungarian artists’ works titled Code + Canvas: Post-Digital Artworks from the Collection of the Hungarian National Bank. The exhibition, curated by Kinga Hamvai and Zsuzska Petró, presents a selection of contemporary artworks from the collection of the Hungarian National Bank, focusing on the post-digital trend. The exhibition will run until 22 March and aims to showcase the diverse expressions of the post-digital era amidst the technological advancements and challenges of our time.
The material compiled from emerging artists of the Y generation highlights one of the most defining artistic trends of recent years, the post-digital movement. Born into the age of computers, the internet, and social media, the Y generation, dubbed digital natives by American writer Marc Prensky, has witnessed significant changes not only in their social interactions but also in their perception of reality. The Code + Canvas exhibition provides insight into the worldview and artistic practices of this generation, reflecting one of the most significant artistic trends of recent years.
The exhibited artists employ various strategies to balance between the digital and analogue worlds.
Some incorporate digital technologies partially or entirely into their designs, combining them with traditional artistic techniques. Others explore printing techniques, the reproducibility of images, and the complex relationship between humans and machines.
In addition to the prominent emergence of post-digital visual culture, the exhibiting artists maintain a strong connection to art historical traditions. Vibrant screen aesthetics, perfect colour gradients, and glitches coexist harmoniously with established art and painting traditions.
The announcement also notes that both the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin (CHB) and the Hungarian National Bank celebrate their 100th anniversaries in 2024.
Kinga Hamvai, the head of MNB Arts and Culture and one of the exhibition’s curators, emphasized the Hungarian National Bank’s commitment to making the collection accessible to the public, considering it as part of the national heritage. She expressed pride in the Hungarian central bank’s century-long support for the arts, emphasizing the synergy between culture and the economy. Kinga Hamvai expressed particular pleasure in the collaboration between two centuries-old institutions in creating the exhibition.
‘The jubilee exhibition held at CHB pays tribute to the institution’s enduring role as a catalyst for cultural exchange and innovation. Over the past century, CHB has served as a space for pioneering artistic and scientific dialogues,’ Márta Nagy, the institute’s director stated.
Related articles:
Sources: Hungarian Conservative/MNB/CHB/MTI
