Károly Hopp-Halász
The complete oeuvre of Károly Hopp-Halász revolves around analysis of and reflections on the formal and aesthetic relationship between geometry and the human body. As a member of the artist group known as the Pécs Workshop (active from 1968 to 1980), Hopp-Halász conducted experiments on the language of geometry throughout the 1970s, experiments that he implemented in predominantly traditional media (painting, graphic art) and in enamel. In the early 1970s, he and other members of Pécs Workshop, became interested in the new media of that era—and as they developed their predilection for geometry,
they carried out individual and collective land art and photo actions as well as photo and video performances later on. From the very beginning, Hopp-Halász’s interest in media art was singular within the context of the Pécs Workshop and the overall Hungarian neo-avant-garde: experimentation with performative practices and with the potentials of photography and other technical media constituted the focus of his practice as he continuously brought his painting and graphic art into interaction with opportunities presented by new media. An aspect of Hopp-Halász’s artistic approach that is far less well known lies in his sexual identity. Even after Hungary’s decriminalization of homosexuality in 1961, revealing one’s “otherness” could entail retribution by the authorities—for which reason publicly proclaiming one’s homosexuality was only to become truly possible following the regime change in 1989. In this heteronormative social and academic context, absent discourses on the topic defined the artist’s isolated and secretive life. However, his homoerotic inclinations do manifest an explicit presence throughout his oeuvre in linkage with explorations of his complex identity, i.e. as an Eastern European and a marginalized artist from a rural background. Representation of the male body via analysis of his own body, documentation of such analysis, and the artist’s search for possibilities of artistic self-representation were manifested in photo actions carried out in collaboration with male models and in arranged compositions reflecting his gay identity. E.Kü.
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