asentenceontyranny's photostream

A Sentence on Tyranny: Photographic images of the re-presentation of Soviet-era statues at Szobor Park in Budapest, Hungary.(1)

These images are on show at Maranui Cafe (2), Lyall Bay in Wellington New Zealand, from April 16th, 2006.

Szobor Park, located on the outskirts of Budapest, provides a place where the colossal monuments of the former Communist regime of Hungary can be displayed. The park's architect, Ákos Eleőd, derived inspiration for the design from the poem, A Sentence on Tyranny (3), written by Hungarian poet Gyula Illyés in 1950. The poem is a cry out against the pervasiveness of tyranny throughout all aspects of society. Eleőd sought to "formulate a critique of the ideology that acted as the midwife for these creations, through the totality of the park's atmosphere, and the emphasised employment of certain elements" (4).

Yet the park, being ring-fenced on the outskirts of the city, confines the idea of tyranny to the margins of society, it dilutes the very pervasiveness from which tyranny obtains its power. Furthermore, in the absence of real tyranny, and decontextualised from their urban settings, these statues and sculptures clearly convey that parallel world of Social Realism – populated by "tireless labourers, courageous Red Army soldiers, diligent schoolchildren or dedicated party activists, they demonstrate exemplary behaviour and the attitudes of perfect citizens" (5). Despite Eleőd’s intentions, the representation of the monuments of the former dictatorship evoke an optimistic heroism, made larger than life by their sheer bulk - here art finally overcomes politics.

More than this though, Szobor Park exposes the propagandist forms of tyranny to the gaze of the western tourist. In this new setting, it becomes easy to overlook the tyranny behind the utopian vision and the brutality of the regime that sought to implement it. Nostalgia becomes the key phenomenon - a nostalgia for a socialist paradise that never existed. And nostalgia, of course, is highly marketable. The works of public art have become part of a private, capitalist enterprise, ideology becomes sentimental aesthetic – you can purchase the souvenir T-shirt. In a victor-takes-all manner, capitalism thus condemns the tyranny of socialist dictatorship to the transaction of superficial image (in the same way that you can buy ‘Che’ T-shirts from chain stores).

What was intended as a sentence on tyranny has become a sentencing of tyranny.

The images in this exhibition attempt to portray the power and heroism of these monuments. The strong forms against a plain background assist to emphasise the purity of expression and the powerful symbolism that are the key characteristics of the original works. However, the carefully edited background of these images further decontextualises the works, re-presenting them, this time within timber photo-frames of the type with which we might frame our own genealogical forebears. The heroism and utopian vision of these works is thus repackaged and commodified in the everyday language of domestic nostalgia. The disjunction that results is further emphasised by the darkness of the timber frames, and the brooding, ominous quality of the images.


(1)view images by clicking on the [Photos] link next to the buddy icon at the top of this page, or by following this link: www.flickr.com/photos/asentenceontyranny/
(2) see: www.maranui.co.nz/cafe/
(3) see: www.szoborpark.hu/index.php?ContentId=8&Lang=en&P...
(4)http://www.szoborpark.hu/index.php?ContentId=8&Lang=en&Page=1
(5)Clark, T., Art & Propaganda: 87



(any orders for prints from this set can be made to asentenceontyranny@yahoo.com.au)

Other images can be seen on my main stream here:
www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldudding/