Nádler István – Szikszai Károly: Paradox erőtér II.

Short listing

Tér-Kép Galéria: PARADOX ERŐTÉR I.

Full exhibition text

Tér-Kép Galéria: PARADOXICAL FORCE FIELD I.

Godot Galéria: PARADOXICAL FORCE FIELD II.

Curator: Tóth Ádám

Opening: 20 February 2024

6 pm: Darvasi László, opening address, Tér-Kép Galéria

8 pm: Gaál József, performance, Godot Galéria

As long as form invariably functions as a visual aid to concepts that can be described, abstraction, which creates a framework far broader than what can be defined, will remain the eternal outsider of the visual arts. A way out is offered by the unwavering, firmly rooted inner imagination that drives both Szikszai Károly and Nádler István. Although in different ways, both have found themselves within the contradiction-laden world of the form-seeking, non-figurative tradition and – despite their differences in style and content – have become significant exponents of intuitive sensitivity.

Nádler István’s freely swirling lyrical gestures create a force field that converges on the centre, intended to establish a sacred harmony arising from the reconciliation of two opposing sides. Through his black brushstrokes, sometimes spiralling, sometimes applied with a light gesture, which symbolise formal freedom, his act of unifying the middle aims to hold the centre together and preserve the close bond between an above and a below that are prone to tipping out of balance. The use of two brushes provides a seemingly boundless space for sweeping gestures which, joining with an aura of dots, create a consistent state of equilibrium.

By contrast, the dominant line of force in the rigorous formal order of Szikszai Károly’s urban ‘landscapes’, which follow in the footsteps of Chaïm Soutine, keeps a safe distance from the enduring formal perfection of geometric abstraction. The dramatic elementalism of his emotionally charged mode of representation, poised on the threshold of sharply outlined recognisability, rejects every form of narrative and refrains from direct statements. His enigmatic, sombre visions of landscapes and their dissolving transitions, built from patches and contours, are stark yet poetic representations that are difficult to put into words: monochrome projections of an inner struggle with darkness and decline, verging on phantasmagoria.

Organised through a collaboration between Godot Galéria and Tér-Kép Galéria, the exhibitions set out to establish a dialogue that expands the traditions of abstraction and pushes its boundaries by juxtaposing the visual languages that reflect the two artists’ radically different approaches to artistic creation.

Godot Galéria

1114 Budapest, Bartók Béla út 11-13.

Until 16 March, Tuesday to Friday, 10 am–2 pm, and Saturday, 10 am–1 pm

Tér-Kép Galéria

1016 Budapest, Krisztina krt. 83-85.

Until 22 March, Tuesday to Saturday, 14:00–18:00

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