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László Beke's writing were published in: Werk (German), Schmuck(English), March/April, 1973
"Concept art" as the possibility of young Hungarian artists
Quotation marks are necessary to use for, according to me, in fact there is no conceptual art in its severe and original sense.
On the contrary-there is a very vivid and strong tendency of young artists who having started consciously from the social and historical decidedness existing in their country.
Our "conceptual art'" may be seen for light and too clear and perhaps technically too rough, etc. from the point of view of the international art scene.
But the marks of this "roughness " are of a secondary importance from our point of view in the light of an art that may even contribute with some motives to the international art scene .
everything that is done by us and declared as 'non-typical" or " it-could-have-been-created-anywhere-in-the-world" may carry some special meaning.
We neither intend to do "particularly " Hungarian art nor to be "characteristic ".
Everything that is intended to send as a special message cannot be appreciated but as of a general value; or at least it is hopped so.
We do not employ the newest media to be "actual"; to the real reasons, let the following contribute:
n The "new" vehicles / i.e. written texts, photos, x-copies, mailings, etc. / are relatively easily available and free and flexible for us;
n We should like to let our public know those results of researches in aesthetics coming to existence together with new media;
n With the help of these new media appearing as an international language
for us we should like to give information about our particular problems and results , generally speaking about our special situation.
My friends-Attalai, Erdély, Bak, Tót, Szentjóby, Pauer, Mauer, Hencze, Jovánonics, The members of Kassák house studio-group of Péter Halász-Gáyor, Haraszty, Méhes, Major, Gulyás, Lakner, Keseru, Csiky, Korniss, Fajó, Legéndy, Baranyay, Vilt, Schaár, Csáji, Donát, Türk, Háy, the members of the "workshop" at Pécs, Bódy, Vidovszky, Körner, and the others speak a poetical/ironical/scientific/symbolic/playful/witty/elegant/shammy/humourous/pseudo/mannerly/constructive/realistic/mystical/ and other kinds of indirect languages ; everybody speaks his own language of pictures ,photos, texts, maps, happenings, chess matches, music, film, statues, nature, machines, textiles, human bodies and games, etc.
At the moment I should like to say something not in their language, but in their name and in a direct and non-artistic language;
We are working in Budapest, Hungary. We have neither galleries nor any art collectors. Our possibilities for exhibitions and publicity are very rare . WE are also aware of the momentarily general and grave period of crisis of art. Everybody is aware of the fact - that has to be underlined for not to forget it - that Budapest is one of the frontier cities between west and east. But it is more important for us that Budapest is the capital city of a country lying in eastern Europe. We want to live and work here.
We send our greetings to every friend of ours who communicates with us. Welcome to Mayor, Filko, Cyprich, Perneczky, Sikora, Dikeakos, Gramse, Bartos, Turovszky, Schwaz, Kalkmann, Mlynarcik, Filliou, Graf, Zelibska, Anonym, Wichardt, Miler, Lobach, Urban, Stembera, Siskov, Missmahl, Higgins, Jankilewsky, Vazan, Konkoly, Kabakov, Carrega, Shiomi, Barrese, De Aquino, Schwarzenberger, Boriani, Vostell, Wisniewski, Spagnuolo, Borowki, Kennedy, Kelemen, Kocman, Breloh, Srnec, Valoch, Kostolowsky, Urbasek, Amiard, Szobathy, Kozowsky, Ben, Dobes,Konieczny, Richard C,Maticevic, Demarco, Emiliani-Dalai, Kerekes, Kosevic, Brendel , Poinsot, Novak, Distel, Charlier, Morris, Aue, Beuys, Gilbert and George, Straus, Koller, Galkin, and the others whose names do not come to my mind now. And welcome to those friends of ours who will communicate with us.
László Beke