Artist
Márton
Solotvyno
Solotvyno has been a salt mining town for hundreds of years in Subcarpathia region of Ukraine. Mining has played a key role in the local hungarian minority ever since. Salt production has ended in the last decade, but sweet water entering the underground chambers has a devastating effect even now. As salt baths and black mud treatment is popular for joint disease and skin problems, the place is still very popular for it’s healing potential. Maintaining the salt pools needs water supply from the former mine chambers, which gives a way for sweet water to enter. This causes further damage underground. As a chamber collapses, craters appear on the surface that can be even 60 metres deep. Despite the uncertain conditions, bathing tourism is still bringing thousands to the town in the summer. Hungarians typically do not benefit from this business anymore, for most of them mining remains the memory of the golden age which influenced almost every family.
Éva Szombat | „Pure positivity! Eva is a person who looks at the world with a smile and wants to translate that uplifting outlook on life into her work. If this is the mission of her work, then she absolutely achieves in doing so. Eva presented coherent projects that document herself and people in her surroundings in a captivating, confident and unexpected manner.”
Emilia van Lynden artistic director of Unseen Amsterdam
Márton Kállai | „Solotvyno, Kallai’s project that focuses on a former salt mining town in the Ukraine, explores two communities who have contrasting relationships to their shared local environment. His project explores the different manners in which these communities live alongside each other and the distinctive emotions, or lack of emotions, that they feel towards their natural surroundings. Kállai presents a cohesive body of work that looks at how opposing communities live together and their disparate approaches to the environment, heritage and commerce.”
Emilia van Lynden artistic director of Unseen Amsterdam
„Szilvia Bolla is a young artist with a very professional approach to art, that combines photography in relation to sculpture, resulting in some very interesting installations. Her work is a combination of senses, mixing colors, shapes and light in order to catch the viewer’s eye. She has a good understanding of the present and future trends and I am certain that her installations will pleasantly surprise the audience.”
Sebastian Vaida photographer, director of Photo Romania Festival
„Dávid Bíró works with abstract shapes, creating new and exciting concepts. He combines geons and colors into new forms and installations, drawing attention to his point of view. Presented well his work will stand out in any exhibition.”
Sebastian Vaida photographer, director of Photo Romania Festival
„Máté Dobokay works at the border between clear and unclear, both with color and shades of grey. He has a unique technique of using analogue techniques in expressing his work, sometimes in huge prints. I will certainly love to see his work printed and exhibited, just as I saw it in a portfolio review presentation.”
Sebastian Vaida photographer, director of Photo Romania Festival