The expression “grotesque” was first used in the context of the decorative art of the Renaissance to describe the playful and seamless combination of diverse motifs. By the Romantic period, it came to specifically mean the harmonisation of extremes that transforms the improbable into reality. By the war-ravaged 20th century, when the view of the world and art were shaken to the core, the grotesque was among the most authentic forms of depiction. In its own satirical way, it helped make the universe more bearable and perhaps enjoyable.
“When we take off our rose-tinted glasses and honestly look around the world, we soon realise that nothing is at it should be: runners limp, blind people read, artists get involved in politics, politicians evangelise like priests, the Pope plays sport and athletes sing, while the artist who beholds all this and attempts to mould it into art passes himself off as a scientist,” explains drMáriás, musician, writer, visual artist and frontman of the ethno jazz punk group Tudósok. His work is filled with the comedic and dramatic, the evil and glorious, the real and the fictitious; it lives in a space where truly anything is possible. This form of unapologetic humour can be found in Béla Ágoston’s Zuboly too. There is an unsettling lack of inhibitions to their “broken ethno” sound, which fuses hip-hop, jazz, folk and dance music to great effect.
Contemporary dance will be represented by the duo of Milán Ujvári and Bea Egyed performing under the name of Radioballet. Literature fans will be delighted by a reading from László Garaczi’s latest prose describing the misadventures of Hungarians living abroad. And to cap off the total art experience, Péter Mészáros has created a short film entitled Keringő (waltz) for the evening. The icing on the cake will be that comedian, musician and visual artist Miklós Galla will be presenting the event. He will also be introducing his paintings and preparing some kind of joint extravaganza with Tudósok and Zuboly...

Presented by: Müpa Budapest