The new exhibition entitled ‘Three Emperors of China’ by Sam Havadtoy, a renowned Hungarian contemporary artist, opened on November 13th 2008 at Gallery B55. This exhibition spells the first time that the works, which center on the theme of China, have been presented to the public. In this exhibition, Havadtoy, who usually paints his pictures on old pieces of lace, pays tribute to three monarchs of China who reigned during the 17th and 18th centuries.They were emperors who kept a strict watch over their empire as military leaders, yet at the same time were receptive to poetry and fine arts, and built up their power not by destroying, but by preserving and cherishing the values of past times. Here at Funzine, we were lucky enough to get the chance to interview Sam. Read on to find out his thoughts on his work, Budapest and life.
What gave you the inspiration for your new exhibition, ‘Three Emperors of China’?
Two years ago I went to see an exhibit in London, ‘The Three Emperors’. It was beautiful, but it was the text in the catalogue that caught my attention. It described how these emperors overthrew the previous dynasty before going to the graves and adopting the ancestors. That way they were able to call themselves legitimate rulers meaning that they could take ownership of everything. This was the reason why they would not allow the destruction of the city and the palaces, it was theirs. At the same time, England was getting ready to celebrate the umpteenth anniversary of the nation and on this occasion a slew of articles appeared denouncing all the so-called politically incorrect statues around the nation’s parks and public buildings.
A very intelligent article appeared in The Daily Telegraph (UK) explaining that if all the statues, which are considered by today’s standard politically incorrect, were to be removed, then most of the royal graves and most of the statues around the nation would have to disappear, and rather then removing them, as a nation, they should accept that all of these people and events made them, the British people and nation what they are. This made me think about my little country, Hungary, where statues and street names are constantly disappearing. People deny their past and refuse to discuss their lives with their children. Maybe we could learn from these lessons? So I made these paintings, trying to start a dialogue.
What do you hope people will gain from seeing the exhibition?
At the very least, they will see a group of complex works, and I hope that they will go home still thinking about what they have seen…
Have you got any interesting tales about the work?
My favorite is the double portrait of the young emperor. He loved the arts and while he was checking the palace inventory, he discovered that he owned two more paintings by a 13th century artist. So he had a new room built for the four works, naming the room, ‘Now they are together’ or something like that. How amazing is that?
How did your artistic career begin?
I started painting in New York in the late 70s but the real work only started after I took a silk-screening course in the mid 80s.
In the course of your career you have formed intellectual relationships with Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, George Condo and Donald Baechler, to name but a few. Have any of them inspired your work in any way? Or indeed, have you inspired them?
What I have learned from other artists like Haring, Warhol and Baechler is the importance of modesty, while being aware of one’s contribution.
You are a passionate collector of lace. What prompted this, and what do you think the material adds to your work?
Lace is one of the most underrated artworks of our time. The women who made it were true artists, the works are complex, refined and very beautiful. Unfortunately, now lace is mistreated, so I thought that by putting it on the canvas, the audience will look at it with a new approach.
Which Hungarian artists do you admire?
I prefer not to say too much on this issue but I do collect Moholy-Nagy and André Kertész.
You lived in New York and Geneva for several years. How do these places compare to Budapest? What did you miss most about Hungary when you were away?
Cities are like great lovers, they can’t be compared. Each love affair is perfect at the time. Yet, unless we let go of the first one, we will never have the last one. Right now, I am getting ready for another love affair in Italy. As I get older, I get more nostalgic about Budapest. Yesterday I saw a billboard for a concert of Zsuzsa Koncz and my heart started to beat faster. She is everything that my youth was about.
For more information about this stunning exhibition please send an email to tamas.dorka@chello.hu .
Date: Until December 9
Place: 1055 Budapest, Balaton utca 2-4.
Email: tamas.dorka@chello.hu
Tel.: +36.30.474.5592
