Instead of artworks, the new exhibition at the Kieselbach Galéria takes visitors into the thick of scenes from 20th-century Hungarian history spelt out in letters, with the help of Fortepan photographs and artificial intelligence.
Dreamy reveries from the peaceful pre-war years, nostalgic retro time travel, everyday moments that became symbols and startlingly absurd situations, moments of carefree fun and records of heart-wrenching historical dramas. Pictures and letters at the same time. Private Hungary brought to life both in the traditional way and with artificial intelligence.
The exhibition is based on Tamási Miklós’s first book, Fortepan ABC, now published by the Kieselbach Galéria. The author is the tireless rescuer of an inexhaustible treasure trove of digitised private photographs and the founding editor of the deservedly popular Fortepan. The online archive has filled a real gap by saving private photographs destined for destruction and making them accessible. Today, however, the digitised Fortepan images are getting a new lease of life: artificial intelligence feeds on them, transforms them and recreates them. On the threshold of the AI era, the exhibition also seeks an answer to the nagging question of how differently we will see our past thanks to the new technology. Will history become easier to relate to, or more false?
The exhibition is open until 19 September 2025.
Source: Kieselbach Galéria