Designer Anna Lébényi, one of the creators of VUUV Works, researched the organic architecture of Hungary in connection with her diploma work years ago, when she found the unique Noszvaj creative workshop, which is special in every respect. From the first moment, Anna felt that the brand identity and spirit of the mysterious place had a lot to offer—so she grabbed a camera and captured it, arm-in-arm with their own craft specialties.
When two extraordinary initiatives meet, it always produces something unique, as is the case with VUUV Works and Noszvaj Creative Colony, who together represent archaic closeness to nature in perfect harmony. The contemporary handicraft products of VUUV Works are made by using traditional techniques, retaining ancient features, so it’s no coincidence that they are in line with space.
The Noszvaj Creative Colony is located in Noszvaj, where traditional, ancient architectural forms, cave dwellings and earth-sheltered homes have been preserved. Over the past centuries, people living here have easily shaped their houses, thanks to the local tuff rock, carved into hundreds of square miles of volcanic ash and its spacious surroundings. Due to the redesign of the landscape, it has been operating as a creative colony since 1997, which has given way to the (re)discovery of underground architecture and the reception of creative projects. The community-building power of the spaces rippling in the ground provides creative artistic and conservation thinking, where many workshops, educational programs, art retreats or eco-conscious events are housed. The name of the creative colony comes from the Slavic word “pod zemlja”, which in itself means underground. The professional leader of Pocem, the sculptor Ottó Horváth, has been living and creating here ever since, and his material is nothing more than the mountain itself.
The creators of the place hold their meetings in the form of a symposium, which is also colored by landscape architects, sculptors, musicians and representatives of other genres together with local traditional craftsmen. The blend of authentic solutions and modern ideas makes the Pocem Creative Colony truly genuine, which is why VUUV Works also fits into the repertoire of the creative site—the intertwining of the past and the present forms a special perfection.
The place not only inspired Anna, but also the interior designer and photographer Beatrix Torma who took part in the project and thanks to her incredible aesthetic sense, inserted the works into this special space in an extra, yet sophisticated way. In addition, the placement of handicraft products in a contemporary setting was important to Beatrix, so it’s no coincidence that they both had a desire to impressively document the creative space.
According to Anna Lébényi, in addition to the dynamic work, the wonderful vintage objects and Moroccan carpets, and last but not least the charm of the venue, there are many untapped opportunities in this space: “We walked around the place on the first afternoon, taking photos on the second and third days. We worked alternately, separately and together, as well as in parallel in different rooms and then together in one place, which gave a very pleasant dynamic overall. I think I managed to capture the beauty of the place, but at the same time I feel there are a lot more possibilities in it. Hopefully we’ll stay longer next time.”
VUUV Works | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Beatrix Torma | Web | Instagram
Source: VUUV Works, Symposion
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