The theme of the 2026 anniversary edition of Debrecen International Artist in Residence focuses on a building in Debrecen of historical significance. Through a building that preserves the traces of different eras, the project explores possibilities for understanding our shared past by examining the interplay between local identity, historical memory, and the transformation—or, at times, the lack of transformation—of the urban landscape.

In keeping with this theme, this year’s Debrecen International Artist in Residence is centred around Sámuel Liszkay’s bathhouse. Located on Szent Anna Street, the building was constructed in the late 1840s and designed for his own use by Sámuel Liszkay, Debrecen’s city engineer and chief forester. It subsequently became one of the most popular venues of the city’s social life. In the years following the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence, the continued operation of the bathhouse was placed at risk, prompting Liszkay to sell the building in 1857. A few years later, it was rented by Debrecen’s Jewish community and converted into a house of prayer and a school; by 1865, it was operating as a synagogue. Towards the end of the century, it became the property of the Roman Catholic Svetits Foundation. The history of the building thus reflects Debrecen’s diverse religious and social past, while also demonstrating how urban buildings adapted to changing historical circumstances: the economic difficulties following the War of Independence, the needs of the city’s growing Jewish community, and, later, the strengthening of the ecclesiastical institutional system all left their mark on it.

Alongside the artistic and research activities, this year’s programme will once again be complemented by a varied series of lectures and discussions. The events will take place in the ground-floor spaces of MODEM. During the early-evening sessions and programmes, visitors will have the opportunity to meet well-known and widely recognised artists and thinkers from the Hungarian and international scenes. Debrecen International Artist in Residence, organised by MODEM, will conclude with an exhibition next autumn. Its results will also be documented in a catalogue containing both theoretical texts and interviews, continuing the format established in previous years.

Programmes:
07/24 (Friday) – 6:00 PM Partizán Architecture artist presentation, 7:00 PM Vanda Sárai artist presentation (EN)
07/25 (Saturday) – 6:00 PM lecture by Eszter Lázár, 7:15 PM Irmina Rusicka artist presentation (EN)
07/26 (Sunday) – 6:00 PM Mária Chilf, 6:30 PM Richárd Kiss artist presentation (EN)
07/27 (Monday) – 6:00 PM lecture by József Papp (HU), 7:15 PM lecture by Tamás Don (HU), 7:45 PM Kasper Lecnim artist presentation (EN)
07/28 (Tuesday) – 6:00 PM Gala Alica, 6:30 PM Dénes Emil Ghyczy (AU Workshop) artist presentation (EN)
07/29 (Wednesday) – 6:00 PM Andreas Fogarasi, 6:30 PM Martin Piaček artist presentation (EN)
07/30 (Thursday) – 6:00 PM lecture by Attila Horányi, 7:15 PM Emese Tóthová artist presentation (EN)
07/31 (Friday) – 6:00 PM Emese Kádár, 6:30 PM Csaba Árpád Horváth artist presentation (EN)
08/01 (Saturday) – 6:00 PM lecture by Zoltán Major, 7:15 PM Lukács Szederkényi (AU Workshop), 7:45 PM Rita Süveges artist presentation (EN)
08/02 (Sunday) – lunch / closing event

Artistic Directors: Szabolcs Süli-Zakar, Tamás Don, Zoltán Major and Péter Müllner (Partizan Architecture), Vanda Sárai

Invited Artists: Andreas Fogarasi, Mária Chilf, Emese Tóthová, Gala Alica, Dénes Emil Ghyczy and Lukács Szederkényi (AU Workshop), Csaba Árpád Horváth, Irmina Rusicka and Kasper Lecnim, Emese Kádár, Richárd Kiss, Martin Piaček, Rita Süveges

Presenters: Gergely Fazakas, literary historian; Attila Horányi, scholar of aesthetics; Zoltán Major, architect; Eszter Lázár, art historian; József Papp, local historian

Tickets are available: Jegy.hu | Eseménykereső