A gateway woven from gold cord, a rose window made of plants, a table set under the deciduous trees of the garden—in such and similar ways, contemporary artists reflect on the spiritual heritage of the former Art Nouveau art colony in Gödöllő. An oasis of peace in Gödöllő, if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the capital.
The current exhibition of the Gödöllő Industrial Art Workshop “Párhuzamos szálak” (“Parallel Threads”), which also celebrates the 120th anniversary of the founding of the workshop, is open until the end of August. The Nagy Sándor House and the Remsey House are once again populated in a truly dignified way, evoking the spirit of the art colony: twelve contemporary artists reflect on the Art Nouveau heritage with their unique set of tools. You can read more about each project on the GIM’s website, but for the real experience, it’s really worth visiting the city of Gödöllő. Zsófia Hidasi, the artistic director of GIM, told us about the current exhibition, GIM’s activities and future plans.
Since 2018, you have been the artistic director and chief curator of GIM, and you have also been running textile design, weaving and drawing courses at the workshop for almost ten years. What does this place mean to you and what has been the biggest challenge for you professionally so far?
As a high school student, I studied drawing, textile design and weaving at GIM, so it’s been a part of my life since I was fifteen. At that time, it was a place where I felt at home from the first moment. I was fascinated by the fact that I could learn art in an environment where I could find inspiring works of art in the context of exhibitions and where the garden itself was a work of art. It currently marks an island for me where the focus is on creating value, building community and nurturing talent. It is a place that inspires me: creative energies converge here and I am in the fortunate position of being able to generate these energies through our activities.
As an artistic director, the most challenging part of my job is organizing thematic art colony programs, which are very complex. Our “Párhuzamos szálak” (“Parallel Threads”) art colony program, which took place this June, was one such event, which involved bringing together the work of several artists in several locations. The organization and realization of outdoor, site-specific works is a complex task, a real challenge, but I see the thematic art colony programs as one of the greatest assets of the GIM and I envision the future of the workshop along these lines.
In 2022, it is planned to have renewed exhibition spaces and workshops for visitors and artists. What else is new in the near or distant future?
The renovation of the GIM building, designed by the GUBAHÁMORI office, has been a topical and necessary project for some time (previously reviewed here—the Ed.). The realization is still depending on the results of the tender, but what is very gratifying for us is that artists associated with the GIM have joined forces to work on the renovation.
In March 2022, we will organize a sponsorship exhibition and market in one of Gödöllő’s most prominent locations, in the Várkapitányi Lak building opposite the castle, where you can buy works by nearly fifty artists and craftsmen, with half of the proceeds going to the renovation fund.
In September, we will open our textile art exhibition “Florarium”, which, like the “Parallel Threads” exhibition, is a contemporary exhibition reflecting on the works of the former Art Nouveau Gödöllő artists’ colony. The exhibition will feature young and talented students of the GIM textile design and weaving workshop, former students of mine, who are currently students at MOME and METU. The exhibition will feature designs inspired by the art nouveau art collection, with floral and plant motifs, which will be available for purchase in the form of products to support the renovation of the GIM: booklets, prints, scarves and canvas bags.
The two-site outdoor exhibition is open to the public by appointment until 28 August 2021. To make an appointment, please contact info@gimhaz.hu. The exhibition will be accompanied by a closing event on 28 August 2021, which will include a visit to the former house of Jenő Remsey, in addition to the Nagy Sándor House.
Photos: Dániel Mátyás Fülöp, Zsófia Hidasi
Florarium sample designs (from left to right): Lili Sipos, Lilla Laura Szabó, Berta Ujváry, Fanni Kecskés
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