Slipping like sand through your fingers

Expoziție personală de fotografie la Galeria Mansarda din Timișoara. (18.03.2025 - 28.03.2025)

Curator: Kassandra Catrinescu
Curator asistent: Bogdan Iacob

Trecutul este adesea mai real decât prezentul.
Prezentul este ușor,
aproape imperceptibil,
alunecând ca nisipul printre degete,
regăsindu-și greutatea metafizică
abia
în amintirea sa.

În urmările complicate ale dizolvării Uniunii Sovietice, Europa de Est a pornit într-o călătorie multifațetată de redescoperire și reinventare. Ruinele vechiului regim au rămas ca o piesă cântată în surdină, pentru cei ce au urechi să o audă. Atmosfera creată de acestea face ca artiștii est-europeni să dispună de legături strânse cu trecutul nu de puține ori tumultos pe care l-au împărtășit mai toate țările fostului bloc sovietic. Slipping like sand through your fingers prezintă câteva serii de fotografii realizate de István Havadi-Nagy-David, ce poartă intrinsec această atmosferă tulbure și nostalgică.
Regăsim în fotografiile sale straniul, ca punct de inflexiune între hipernormalizare și metacriză, așa cum spune chiar István. Realitatea imediată, peisajul, orașul, obiectele și oamenii reprezintă de multe ori o bază ce așteaptă să fie transpusă în încercarea de a încapsula emoții, idei personale și noi semnificații ale acesteia. Varietatea abordărilor estetice, subiectelor, temelor și tehnicilor fotografice (fotografie digitală, analogică sau chiar generări ale imaginilor AI) sunt materializate cu ajutorul unei largi game de tipuri de imprimare.
Documentările sale, mai puțin imaginare decât ne lasă artistul să credem, ne pun față în față cu prețul psihologic pe care îl cer sistemele totalitariste, cu ștergerea identității individuale și cu puterea de îndurare a spiritului uman.

Lucrări expuse:

A grainy, monochrome image depicting broken, silhouetted industrial structures against a bleak sky, evoking desolation and decay, in the shape of the Cross. The dark, jagged lines suggest abandonment, with no human presence visible. The artwork reflects the harsh, oppressive environment of Soviet labor camps, as referenced by the title 'Images from the Life of Ivan Denisovich'. Photography on film, printed manually using the gumoil technique. Unique artwork by István Havadi-Nagy-David.

Images from the life of Ivan Denisovich I

Analog, black and white photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.
13 x 18 cm.
Unique artwork.

 

A grainy, monochromatic image featuring three tall smokestacks rising against a bleak sky, with a fence stretching across the foreground. The smokestacks resemble the three crosses of the crucifixion, symbolizing suffering, isolation, and endurance, reflecting the oppressive life in Soviet labor camps, as referenced by the title 'Images from the Life of Ivan Denisovich'. Photography on film, printed manually using the gumoil technique. Unique artwork by István Havadi-Nagy-David.

Images from the life of Ivan Denisovich VII

Analog, black and white photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.
13 x 18 cm.
Unique artwork.

A grainy, monochromatic image depicting large silhouetted industrial structures and skeletal frames standing in a desolate landscape filled with debris. The scene evokes decay, abandonment, and isolation, symbolizing the harsh life in Soviet labor camps, as referenced by the title 'Images from the Life of Ivan Denisovich'. Photography on film, printed manually using the gumoil technique. Unique artwork by István Havadi-Nagy-David.

Images from the life of Ivan Denisovich VI

Analog, black and white photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.
13 x 18 cm.
Unique artwork

A grainy, monochrome image depicting a solitary figure walking down a muddy path between two rows of deteriorating industrial buildings. The stark contrast and bleak landscape evoke feelings of isolation, hardship, and desolation, reflecting the oppressive environment of a Soviet labor camp, as referenced by the title 'Images from the Life of Ivan Denisovich'. Photography on film, printed manually using the gumoil technique. Unique artwork by István Havadi-Nagy-David.

Images from the life of Ivan Denisovich II

Analog, black and white photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.
13 x 18 cm.
Unique artwork

nobody nowhere istvan havadi gumoil print

Veil of Fire

Digital photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.
30 x 40 cm.
Unique artwork

Unique fine art photograph by István Havadi-Nagy-David, printed with the gumoil technique. It is a dark, monochrome image of an upside-down pepper that resembles a face frozen in a scream. The pepper's inner curves and seeds mimic an open mouth and teeth, creating a grotesque and unsettling form. The harsh lighting highlights the rough texture of the pepper's skin, while deep shadows obscure parts of the image, adding to the eerie, dramatic atmosphere. The contrast between light and dark gives the pepper an almost nightmarish, flesh-like appearance, evoking strong emotions of fear and discomfort.

Pepper Scream

Digital photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.
20 x 30 cm.
Unique artwork

Unique fine art photograph by István Havadi-Nagy-David, printed with the gumoil technique. A monochromatic image of a discarded, crumpled plastic glove floating against a dark, textured background. The glove's wrinkled and misshapen form is highlighted by sharp contrasts of light and shadow, giving it a ghostly, abandoned appearance. The stark background emphasizes the glove's isolation, evoking themes of fragility, abandonment, and the lingering presence of something once functional and important.

Conductor’s Shade

Digital photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.
20 x 30 cm.
Unique artwork

self portrait with tinfoil havadi gumoil print

Devoured into non-identity

Digital photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.

30 x 40 cm.
Unique artwork

A monochromatic artwork titled 'Eastern Europe I' showing a hanging coat in a dimly lit room, with a photo collage of people on the wall to the left and a utility meter above them. The rough textures of the coat and wall create a worn, austere atmosphere, evoking themes of nostalgia and modest, working-class life. Unique handmade photographic artwork using the gumoil process by István Havadi-Nagy-David

Eastern Europe I

Digital photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.

30 x 40 cm.
Unique artwork

Martirium I

Digital photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.

30 x 40 cm.
Unique artwork

after istvab havadi gumoil print

Martirium II

Digital photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.

30 x 40 cm.
Unique artwork

Planarity of Anthropic Universes series

Photography on film, shot with a Lubitel 2 camera. Print on Hahnemülhe Agave paper with Epson archival inks.

50 x 50 cm.
Limited series: 1/5.

Planarity of Anthropic Universes series

Photography on film, shot with a Lubitel 2 camera. Print on Hahnemülhe Agave paper with Epson archival inks.

50 x 50 cm.
Limited series: 1/5.

Planarity of Anthropic Universes series

Photography on film, shot with a Lubitel 2 camera. Print on Hahnemülhe Agave paper with Epson archival inks.

50 x 50 cm.
Limited series: 1/5.

Planarity of Anthropic Universes series

Photography on film, shot with a Lubitel 2 camera. Print on Hahnemülhe Agave paper with Epson archival inks.

50 x 50 cm.
Limited series: 1/5.

Planarity of Anthropic Universes series

Photography on film, shot with a Lubitel 2 camera. Print on Hahnemülhe Agave paper with Epson archival inks.

50 x 50 cm.
Limited series: 1/5.

Planarity of Anthropic Universes series

Photography on film, shot with a Lubitel 2 camera. Print on Hahnemülhe Agave paper with Epson archival inks.

50 x 50 cm.
Limited series: 1/5.

Planarity of Anthropic Universes series

Photography on film, shot with a Lubitel 2 camera. Print on Hahnemülhe Agave paper with Epson archival inks.

50 x 50 cm.
Limited series: 1/5.

Planarity of Anthropic Universes series

Photography on film, shot with a Lubitel 2 camera. Print on Hahnemülhe Agave paper with Epson archival inks.

50 x 50 cm.
Limited series: 1/5.

Planarity of Anthropic Universes series

Photography on film, shot with a Lubitel 2 camera. Print on Hahnemülhe Agave paper with Epson archival inks.

50 x 50 cm.
Limited series: 1/5.

Planarity of Anthropic Universes series

Photography on film, shot with a Lubitel 2 camera. Print on Hahnemülhe Agave paper with Epson archival inks.

50 x 50 cm.
Limited series: 1/5.

Unique fine art photograph by István Havadi-Nagy-David, printed with the gumoil technique. A monochromatic image of a deteriorating apartment block with repetitive rows of windows. The building’s facade shows signs of decay, with dark stains and weathered surfaces. The grid-like arrangement of the windows emphasizes a sense of uniformity and oppression. Bare branches in the foreground add to the feeling of desolation. The overall scene evokes themes of anonymity, isolation, and control, drawing parallels to the dystopian world of George Orwell's '1984'.

Impudent Light is All I Have

Digital photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.


20 x 30 cm.
Unique artwork

Unique fine art photograph by István Havadi-Nagy-David, printed with the gumoil technique. An abstract, monochromatic image featuring contrasting sections of light and shadow. On the left, a textured, light area resembling concrete fades into a dark, shadowed section on the right. A small, irregular white mark stands out in the dark area, adding a focal point. The smooth transition between light and dark creates a sense of calm and balance, evoking themes of harmony and the gentle flow of shadows.

Harmonious Flow of Shadows

Digital photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.


20 x 30 cm.
Unique artwork

Impudent Light is All I Have series

Digital photograph. Handmade gumoil print on Fabriano Artistico paper.

20 x 30 cm.
Unique artwork

Fine art photograph by István Havadi-Nagy-David depicting a long, elevated pipeline supported by weathered concrete pillars in a desolate industrial landscape, the muted purples, greens, and yellows create a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere. The perspective emphasizes the endlessness of the pipeline, leading into the distance, while the abandoned gravel road below adds a sense of isolation. On the left, faint remnants of industrial structures can be seen, while on the right, overgrown vegetation hints at nature reclaiming the space. First image of the series titled Postindustrial Golgotha.

Postindustrial Golgotha I

Photograph on expired Agfa slide film. Printed on Epson Fine Art paper.

35 x 35 cm.
Limited series: 1/5

A fine art photograph depicting a decaying industrial landscape with twisted metal debris in the foreground. Worn concrete poles, reminiscent of the cross, and crumbling structures extend into the distance, while abandoned buildings with shattered windows line the right side. The surreal color palette of muted purples, greens, and yellows creates a haunting, dreamlike atmosphere. A lone smokestack rises in the distance, symbolizing the collapse of industrial progress. Analog photograph by István Havadi-Nagy-David, second image from the Postindustrial Golgotha series.

Postindustrial Golgotha II

Photograph on expired Agfa slide film. Printed on Epson Fine Art paper.

35 x 35 cm.
Limited series: 1/5

Fine art photograph shot on film by István Havadi-Nagy-David depicting a decaying industrial site with rusted metal debris scattered in the foreground. In the background, skeletal industrial frames and distant mountains evoke isolation, while a corroded cylindrical structure looms to the right. The muted purples and blues create a surreal, eerie atmosphere, emphasizing themes of abandonment, environmental decay, and the passage of time.

Postindustrial Golgotha III

Photograph on expired Agfa slide film. Printed on Epson Fine Art paper.

35 x 35 cm.
Limited series: 1/5

Contemporary fine art photograph shot on slide film by István Havadi-Nagy-David. Showing a collapsed industrial beam, resembling a crucifix, amidst overgrown grasses in a decaying landscape. The weathered structure leans at an unnatural angle, symbolizing the decline of human industry. A rusted factory or silo with a spiral staircase looms in the background. The surreal color palette of purples and yellows, along with blurred details, creates a dreamlike, distorted atmosphere. The artwork explores themes of abandonment, decay, and the quiet reclamation of industrial spaces by nature. The fourth image from the Postindustrial Golgotha series.

Postindustrial Golgotha IV

Photograph on expired Agfa slide film. Printed on Epson Fine Art paper.

35 x 35 cm.
Limited series: 1/5

Contemporary fine art photograph captured on film by István Havadi-Nagy-David showing a decaying industrial site with a toppled beam entangled in rusted cables in the foreground. A damaged post resembling a crucifix and a crumbling building with broken windows stands against a backdrop of distant hills. The muted purples and yellows create a surreal, eerie atmosphere.

Postindustrial Golgotha V

Photograph on expired Agfa slide film. Printed on Epson Fine Art paper.

35 x 35 cm.
Limited series: 1/5

An analog photograph by István Havadi-Nagy-David, shot on slide film representing a desolate, industrial landscape featuring two tall concrete posts resembling distorted telephone poles or crosses. The scene is barren with debris scattered on the ground. The faded purple, green, and yellow tones, evoke a post-apocalyptic or abandoned setting. A row of horizontal beams stretches into the distance under a pale, cloudy sky. Last image of the series titled Postindustrial Golgotha.

Postindustrial Golgotha VI

Photograph on expired Agfa slide film. Printed on Epson Fine Art paper.

35 x 35 cm.
Limited series: 1/5

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