“What does a flower mean? What does it represent, what does it symbolize? Nothing, it just is. And that’s the miracle. What does this miracle consist of when we break it down? The shape? The colour? The smell? And what does shape, smell, colour mean? Nothing but itself. The same applies to geometric art, which also exists for its own sake. It is what it is.” — Carmelo Arden Quin
MADI is an acronym that stands for Movement, Abstraction, Dimension and Invention. Movement embodies the fluidity of artworks, the dynamism in their evolution, and the mobility of their components. Abstraction refers to the fundamental elements of geometry, the visual expression of tangible objects. Dimension illustrates the spatial expanse of artworks and their interaction with their surroundings, while Invention celebrates ingenuity, creativity, and playfulness. The movement started in Buenos Aires in 1946, when – among others – Carmelo ARDEN QUIN, Rhod ROTHFUSS and Hungarian-born Gyula KOSICE published their manifesto Movimiento MADI.
MADI traces its roots to the avant-garde movements of the twentieth century. The MADI movement simultaneously combines the reductionist visual expression of Cubism, the dynamic fervor of Futurism, the vibrancy and bold colors of Fauvism and the interplay of space and form of Constructivism. MADI embraces interdisciplinary collaboration, incorporating elements of music, dance, literature, and non-traditional visual arts. It boldly incorporates novel materials such as glass, plastic, steel, magnets or even objects from industrial design.
At the exhibition, we can see the graphic imprints of Constructivist pioneers: from the Suprematist foundations of MALEVICH and LISSITZKY, who inspired the MADI movement, through TATLIN’s “tower” and RODCHENKO’s universe of geometric shapes, to the pictorial architecture of Lajos KASSÁK and László MOHOLY-NAGY. The curated selection of artworks on display faithfully echoes this intricate lineage through the lens of Hungarian contributors to the MADI movement. From János FAJÓ’s precise and proportionally balanced creation to István HAÁSZ’s monochromatic relief, through István ÉZSIÁS’s glass sculpture as an homage to MOHOLY-NAGY, and István HARASZTŸ’s magnetic sculptures. The exhibition outlines the movement’s evolution over almost 80 years with a wide palette, starting with the works of the founders ARDEN QUIN and Martin BLASZKO, through the early works of Salvador PRESTA and BOLIVÁR to the structured canvases of RIDEL and FRANGI.
The culmination of over 30 years of dedicated work as collectors, creators and art supporters by Zsuzsa DÁRDAI and János SAXON SZÁSZ, the works of more than 100 artists from 20 countries are presented at the Deák17 Gallery. The carefully chosen display aims to offer a panoramic view of an outstanding segment of contemporary art. The Mobile MADI Museum’s monumental and ever-expanding collection stands as a testament not only to the movement’s historical significance but also to its ongoing relevance as posing thought-provoking questions and exploring the boundaries of the infinite universe by melding mathematics, physics, and art of SAXON’s Poliuniverse.
Curators: Zsuzsa DÁRDAI art critic, Sára Réka TURÓCZI art historian
Exhibiting artists: AINAUT [F], APIKIAN [F], ARDEN QUIN [ROU], ASI DIEGO [ROU], BÁLVÁNYOS [H], BÁ-NYÁSZ [H], BECERRIT [YV], BELIC [SRB], BENSASSON [F], BESSE [F], BINET [F], BLASZ-KO [RA], BOLÍVAR [ROU], BORZOBOHATY [PL], BOTOS [H], BOURGUIGNON [F], BRANCHET [F], BRITEZ di SANO [ROU], CACERES [RA], CAPORICCI [I], CECERE [I], CORTESE [I], D’AMICO [USA], de JONG ORLANDO [NL], DRUGDA [SK], ERDÉLY [H], ÉZSI-ÁS [H], FAJÓ [H], FALK [S], F.FARKAS [H], FAUCON [B], FORLIVESI [I], FRANÇOIS [B], FRANGI [I], FROMENT [F], FULCHIGNONI [I], GALVÁO [BR], GLASS [D], GOLD [USA], GONCHARENKO [RUS], GUEDES [BR], HAÁSZ [H], HARASZTŸ [H], HERCZEGH [H], HER-RERA [YV], HETEY [H], HOFFER-JOHNSON [USA], HOLMSTRAND [S], L.HORVÁTH [H], P.HORVATH [B], HULÍK [SK], JARA [EC], JOLÁTHY [H], KELLE [H], KIMURA [J], KLEIN KRANENBARG [NL], KOBAYASHI [J], KOLEYCHUK [RUS], KONTUR [H], KOVÁCS [H], KOZLOV [RUS], LAMBELÉ [B], LAPEYRÈRE [F], La ROSA [YV], LOMBARDI [I], LUGGI [I], MAGNUS [S], MANCINO [I], MARAFKÓ [H], MARINHO [BR], MASCIA [I], MATZON [H], MILO [I], MINORETTI [I], MIYAZAKI [J], MORI [J], MYERSCOUGH [AUS], NEM’S [H], NEY-RAT [F], NICOLATO [I], OLEJNICZAK [USA], PASQUER [F], PATAKI [H], PERROTTELLI [I], PILONE [I], PINNA [I], POIROT-MATSUDA [J], PRESTA [I], RADKE [PL], RIDELL [S], ROIT-MAN [ROU], ROSA [I], RUBENS [B], SAINT CRICQ [F], SAXON [H], SERNAGLIA [I], SILVA [YV], SOMFAI [D], STAFFORINI [RA], STEMPFEL [F], SZARAZ [B], TIMER [B], VACHER [F], van LIER [NL], A.WEBER [CH], M.WEBER [CH], ZANGARA [AUS], ZEISEL [D]
Predecessors: ARDEN QUIN [ROU], KANDINSZKIJ [RUS], KASSÁK [H], LISZICKIJ [RUS], MALEVICS [RUS], MOHOLY-NAGY [H], PÉRI [H], RODCSENKO [RUS], TATLIN [RUS], TORRES GARCIA [ROU]
Opening: Thursday, March 21, 2024, 5:00 p.m
Opening speech by: Maria Lorena CAPRA, Ambassador of Argentina to Hungary and Zsuzsa DÁRDAI, founder-curator of the Mobile MADI Museum
On view: 2024.03.22. – 06.04.
In cooperation with: Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Hungary, Mobile MADI Museum, Poly-Universe Ltd., Saxon Art Gallery
