Projekte

The publication reflects the ongoing debates and current artistic strategies of the Berlin-based artist duo Gusztáv Hámos and Katja Pratschke. The book contains the early photographic work of Gusztáv Hámos, who fled from Hungary to West Berlin in 1979, “processed” in order to place autobiographical experiences– such as his conscription into the People’s Army for military duty, medical examination and his refusal – into a contemporary context. The photographic series show photo performances that document artistic strategies of resistance and self-realisation in dictatorial systems.

In the book, the attempt at self-determination is set parallel to the history of Liberty Square in Budapest. Since the demolition of the imperial barracks in 1897 and the construction of Liberty Square, those in power have erected sculptures, statues and monuments here to commemorate the struggle for freedom and the loss of liberty. By using deconstruction as a strategy to uncover hierarchies, the artists initiate a critical discourse on the current removal and replacement of monuments that do not fit into the political narrative of those presently in power.