Miklós Erdély
(1928 – 1986)
Miklós Erdély (1928–86) architect, artist, writer, poet, theorist, filmmaker, was an important catalyst on the unofficial Hungarian art scene during the 1960s, 70s and early 80s.
Hailed as “the father of the new Hungarian avantgarde”, Erdély was a charismatic personality, always provocative and often irritating, especially to the authorities. From 1975 until his death he ran three conceptionally and methodically related courses in art – Creativity Exercises (in 1975–76, together with Dóra Maurer and György Galántai), Fantasy Developing Exercises (FAFEJ) and Inter-Disciplinary- Thinking (Indigo) – which were conceived as experimental teaching studios or workshops drawing on avant-garde artistic processes, new theories of creativity, educational methods influenced by Eastern philosophical traditions and many other sources. By his own admission, one of the aims of his art pedagogical activity was to “create a milieu in which it might be worth working at all”. He regarded his students as the most suitable critics of his own works.
Erdély’s perspective on art is influenced by numerous factors. Such as highlighting the connection of sciences and art, the primacy of new as the most important aesthetic category, moreover the openness towards the old and new traditions and the demand to reinterpret these.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1999 Erdély Miklós (1928–1986) életműkiállítás +
INDIGO, Műcsarnok, Budapest
1992 Miklós Erdély. Opere dagli anni '50 al 1986, G. Spicchi
dell'Est, Rome
1986 Erdély Miklós retrospective exhibition,
Óbuda Gallery, Budapest
1985 Magdolna Csutak’s flat, Bécs (A)
1983 G. Arte Verso, Genova (I)
1981 Danger (environment), The IX. Cracow Meeting,
Pawilon Wystawowy, Krakkó (Pl)
1980/1981 Stabilization (installation), G. Savremene Umjetnosti,
Zágráb (C)
1980 Memory for the synod of Kalcedon(environment),
Bercsényi Collegium, Budapest
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1999 Global Conceptualism. Points of Origin 1950s–1980s,
Queens Museum of Art, New York
1998 First wave of the Hungarian Neo-avantgarde 1965-72, Szombathelyi Képtár, Szombathely
1994 Eighties - Fine Art, Ernst Museum, Budapest
1992 Sixties. New tendencies in Hungarian Art,
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest
1989 Hommage à Iparterv I., Fészek Galéria, Budapest
1988 Hommage à Iparterv I., Fészek Galéria, Budapest
1986 Eklektika '85 Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest
1985/1986 Contemporary Visual Art in Hungary, Glasgow,
István Csók Gallery, Székesfehérvár (H)
1985 The nature, Pécsi Gallery, Pécs (H)
Disc, Central Park, Budapest
101 Object, Óbuda Gallery, Budapest
4. B. der Europäischen Grafik, Baden-Baden (G)
1984 Newly painted, Ernst Museum, Budapest
Orwell und die Gegenwart, Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts,
Bécs (A)
Hungary can be yours!, Fiatal Művészek Klubja, Budapest
1983 Avantgarde is dead, Bercsényi Collegium, Budapest
Exhibition of Group INDIGO, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
Film/Art, Budapest Gallery, Budapest
1982 III. Photo biennale in Esztergom, Esztergom (H)
1981 Line, Pécsi Gallery, Pécs (H)
Tendencies 1970-1980 6., Hard and Soft, Óbuda Gallery,
Budapest
1980 INDIGO - Aquarell, Bercsényi Collegium, Budapest
Künstler aus Ungarn, Kunsthalle, Wilhelmshaven
Prospekt 80/1., 6 magyar művész, M. van Hegendaagse
Kunst, Gent (B)
1980/1982 Drawing, Pécsi Gallery, Pécs
1980 ’Iparterv’ 1968-1980
1980 Tendencies 1970-1980 1., Óbuda Gallery, Budapest
1979 Works and Words, De Appel, Fundatie Kunsthuis,
Amszterdam (N)
Photograms, Budapest
1978 East-Europian’s concrete and visual poetry, Van Gogh M.,
Amszterdam, S'Hertogenbosch Modern M. (NL)
1976 Exposition - Photo/Art, Museum of Hatvany Lajos, Hatvan (H)
1976 Mobius (organized by Miklós Erdély), Fiatal Művészek Klubja,
Budapest
1975/1976 Montage (organized by Miklós Erdély),
Fiatal Művészek Klubja, Budapest
1974 Picture/Poem, Fiatal Művészek Klubja, Budapest
1973 ’Balatonboglári kápolnatárlat’, Balatonboglár
(György Jovánovics, Péter Legéndy, János Major,
György Pauer, Tamás Szentjóby) (H)
1972 Direct week, ’Balatonboglári kápolnatárlat’, Balatonboglár (H)
st. Jauby - Jovanovics - Lakner - Miklós - Pauer - Tot,
G. Foksal, Varsó (Pl)
1971 Paris Biennale, Párizs (F)
1970 R-exhibition, Budapest
1966-69, silver gelatin print, 3.6 x 4.3 cm, framed
1982, paper, bitumen, graphite, glue, foil, mixed media, 70 x 100 cm