Description
Border Age is now available in both Hungarian and English, published as the catalogue of the exhibition of the same name held at MODEM in Debrecen from 16 December 2023 to 3 March 2024.
“Border Age” denotes a period of complex transformation between eras that have achieved stability within their own established order. It is a transition that looks ahead, bridging a past perceived as outgrown and the future. Human lives also contain such intense periods—often marked by symbolic events—which offer opportunities to take stock of achievements and set new goals. The exhibition Border Age celebrates the seventieth birthdays of two Debrecen artists, visual artist Zoltán Fátyol and graphic artist István Tamus, by bringing together works from the mature stages of their careers.
This MODEM exhibition of two prominent local artists does not attempt a comprehensive survey of their entire oeuvres. Instead, by juxtaposing significant groups of works, it offers insight into the themes, motifs, and technical experiments that have shaped the artistic journeys of these two contrasting personalities. István Tamus, who turns seventy in 2023, is best known for his dynamic graphic works inspired by Christian faith and biblical stories, local places and locations encountered on his travels, as well as exceptional life situations. Zoltán Fátyol, who celebrates his seventieth birthday in 2024, experiments with diverse materials and engages in dialogue with archaic forms of expression to create a private mythology with its own internal validity. The exhibition is also a milestone: alongside its retrospective view, it presents the artists’ latest works, pointing towards possible future directions.
