Győr painter Zsolt Malasits' May record attempt ended on Sunday. His picture completed during his street campaign was sold at Sunday's auction for HUF 400,000. The artist donated half of the amount to the Mother-Infant and Children's Home in Győr. The creator, who is also known for his giant canvas paintings, told us about the real purpose of his record-breaking attempt, about the trials of street art in Győr, and also introduced our portal to why he only donates half of the amount collected at the auction to charity.
– As a result of his record attempt in May, his work painted in downtown Győr was sold for HUF 400,000 on Sunday. As conditions for the action, he set the creation in the open space, the presence of the audience, the eight-hour working time and the large size. Why are these limits special?
"No painting has ever been made under such conditions." The majority of artists do not allow a glimpse of the creative process taking place in inspired solitude, nor do they enjoy working outdoors, as the weather is difficult to predict, and the dust, feathers, and fluff in the air make outdoor work difficult. The audience was important to me because when people see how an image is constructed, they can get closer to the creative process. After that, they no longer examine the painting so strangely. The eight-hour working time lives in me as a remnant of the old system. You know, eight hours of work, eight hours of rest, eight hours of fun. I chose this classic working time as a challenge for myself, which was only intensified by the falling rain. Nevertheless, I managed to create the work in such a way that, after seven and a half hours, after the depressingly urgent tension of the middle part, I only needed the last, loose touches. I don't want to over-mystify the matter, but in retrospect, producing this large-scale image in this way was a huge undertaking.
– The deck also included the fact that the work would not be completed by the time limit.
– A picture is always made when the artist says so. Picasso explained this by saying that a picture should never be finished, because if it is too elaborate, its own energy is lost, it does not really live.
– When you don't finish painting a work, don't you feel the vibrating tension that makes you keep working until perfection?
– I often touch the painting afterwards, although the mentioned tension really makes me feel that I am facing a living image. I usually paint four or five pictures at the same time, in different phases, because the drying time of the paint materials does not depend on me. I put the painting aside to dry after two or three days on the stand again, and many times I feel that I don't have to touch it after all. It is completely different to see my work days after the creation phase has begun. Sometimes painting and technical shortcomings become the advantage of the image, because the effect can be achieved in this way.
- Before the interview, he revealed that the picture "Past-Present-Future", which he painted as a record attempt, is very heavy, but its weight can be measured not physically, but in terms of content. Why did he take only eight hours to paint such a serious picture?
"I wanted to test my knowledge and see where I am now." The formality was not the aggravating circumstance, since everything in this field stemmed from my more than twenty years of practice. I chose this topic because I wanted to draw attention not only to the genre and the situation of orphaned children, but also to sensitize people to the topic itself. If one walks with open eyes and heart, he realizes that our world is in a difficult situation, because it has been forced into a forced path by those great powers who are promoting the economy and pursuing globalization activities. This situation cannot be maintained for too long, and it is difficult to reverse it. So what can be the solution? Faith and the New Testament, which contains values, truth and perhaps prophecies. The events of today will unfold exactly as it is written in the Book of Revelation. The key is that time ceases to exist in an instant. With the help of this, the salvation of the world can be achieved, with the help of which we find ourselves in a new environment. This is what started my thinking when I painted the picture for the auction. I wanted to witness the end of time.
- He offered half of the money collected at the auction for vacations for orphaned children. Why did he surprise them with his donation?
- The money could go to many places, but as a father of small children, I am much more empathetic towards those who have to grow up without parents. Recently, I took a batch of clothes and toys to the Mother-Infant- and Children's Home, where the children had a huge impact on me, and the sight was heart-wrenching, because I felt a landlessness there that was unimaginable to me, but ordinary to them.
"If you were so shaken, why didn't you offer the whole amount to the little ones?"
- Because the person who lives from art is at least as abandoned as the lurkers at home. I also feel like an orphan, since the world is rushing forward with such a strange set of values that it is very difficult to improve its direction with my work or to slow down its speed, because the activities of artists receive little attention. I need the other half of the amount to support my family.
- We could also interpret his charitable record attempt as self-promotion. What guided you when organizing the action?
- Calling attention was very important to me, because in my visual world there are many aids that help me figure out the labyrinth of people's lives. This means the discovery of spirituality outside of the physical. And those who come closer to my philosophy of life through my works can help steer our fast-paced world on the right track with their actions and thoughts.
- Many similar initiatives are launched abroad, and performances are also common. However, such charity events and street art movements are extremely rare in Győr. How openly did the audience of the baroque city receive your action?
– It was a very good feeling that a group formed around the picture, which created a real communication island. It was different from watching a miracle bug. A relationship developed between the audience and me.
- The idea of getting into the everyday life of the people of Győr is not far from his personality. Together with the Korszakzvál Group (as artistic director), they inscribed themselves in the history of the city and in the memory of the residents with giant canvas paintings decorating buildings.
– Then I was able to work in an excellent group with the best-known artists in the country. I look back on those years with great fondness and a small sense of loss, because the city did not take our business seriously enough.
- According to the original plans, the monumental city decorations would have been put out on the streets every year. Now, however, the works are nowhere to be seen.
"Slowly every city lives from festivals, and this event could have provided the basis for a permanent festival." The artists who took part in it now enjoy popularity beyond the country's borders. Our initiative could work until today, but this would require stable support from the city, which is not currently available. We must not forget about the honorarium of the creators.
– To what extent can your canvas paintings be considered the first attempts at street art in Győr?
- Absolutely, since in addition to monumentality, our goal was to bring fine art to the people. We are not putting an invitation into the hands of the audience, but we have settled into their everyday lives, with the help of which we wanted to make gray minds think. If pedestrians and commuters see one of the giant pictures, for example, on the water tower for a month, they may realize that certain elements of contemporary art are not so foreign to them.
- Her necklace studded with stones has been part of her look for years. He is from Győr with deep roots. The strong brush strokes used in his works, the bright colors, the fish symbol and the frequent appearance of rounded shapes also reflect some kind of permanence. How do you interpret the immobility clustered around you?
– Immobility, permanence is a good approach to my art, as it includes eternity, eternal value and the fact that I must be taken into account. The symbol of everything for me is the pyramid, the construction of which requires a stable foundation. My life looks the same, since I spared no effort in creating the foundations on which I can then build higher and higher. I don't live a roller-coaster life, but a constant process of ascent. As I become more and more wise, my job becomes easier and easier, because, as with the pyramid, after one level, less and less work is required to go up. And at the end, the last stone rests as a crown on top of the pile, which only becomes visible at the end of my journey.
– In addition to your mature art philosophy, what is the variable that you would jump into the saddle of without thinking?
- Humanity's way of life cannot continue in this form. Changing the world is possible through redemption. And I want to jump on this horse, because it is created for good and authentic people. And from a more down-to-earth point of view, if I can renew my art in such a way that I do not fundamentally change, but continue to build the pyramid, then that is the other horse that I would follow at any time.
- After your canvas pictures and record attempt, are you already planning the next city revitalization campaign?
– I always want to spice up the life of my surroundings in such a way that the new building blocks fall into place. I keep in mind that attention-grabbing movements are needed, but until a process is completed, I don't like to start something new. At the moment, I still haven't recovered from the impact of my charity record attempt, so I'm not making any new plans yet.
Anita Szücs
06/07/2011