Beamsphere

For the third consecutive time, supported by Magyar Telekom, the Dorkandkozma have been given the unique opportunity to bring alive their spectacular micro-world on the facade and nearby surfaces of the telecommunications company’s headquarter. Raypainting, a trademarked form of art, will once again turn the neighbourhood into an interactive art installation. The extraordinary light painting of the world-famous artist duo Dorkandkozma is not unknown to the people of Budapest. First appearing at an alternative land-art festival at Frankhegy, the gripping light frescoes have since decorated diverse Budapest locations such as the Millenáris Park, the Elizabeth Bridge, and the City Hall Square.

The installation

Light painting is unrivalled in terms of its effect, created through the intimate and clear colours of glass painting. The uniform and total visual world that they create makes it necessary that every single part of the space, from the architectonical characteristics of the buildings to the colour of the plastic bags in the park’s litter boxes be handled as part of the artists’ workspace. While the artistic world of Dóra Berkes manifests itself in the projected glass imagery, Péter Kozma is responsible for provoking the space and applying the composition in a three-dimensional fashion. The projectors, normally used for visual background effects in the theatre, feed film art into the unified effect of painting, architecture, sculpture, performance art. In its exciting overall effect, the resulting light experiment lends a dream-like reality to the urban spaces and surfaces. The sophisticated contemporary art of Dorkandkozma is a real Hungaricum. Its spirit rises from and promotes the richness of diversity.

The effect

The effect of the beamspheres operates by reverting to visual straight-forwardness and naivité in an era when visuality is over-burdened and twisted. Unmatched in contemporary art, Raypainting can reach out to hundreds of thousands of people, while the street, the square and the city do not appear in the installation to gain popularity, but at their real value, as the context of modern life. Fascinating through the light, colours, and imagery, the artwork is also spectacular in its scale. The nearly ten-thousand square-meter installation triggers a sense of sublime, majestical feeling in the observer, and its complexity prolongs contemplation by engaging both the senses and the mind.

Urban public-art

As a result of the charisma and work culture of Dorkandkozma, the event is transformed into a spontaneous artists’ gathering, where fine artists, photographers, musicians, architects work together in close-knit and loose communities. In the centre we find Dorkandkozma, a name born at the legendary Frankhegy parties, around whose unique perspective and intellectuality this modern, temporary, urban public-art happening is focused. At their invitation, other artists will hold exhibitions at the event, such as the outstanding Emese Benczúr with her exciting creation called “Lighten up your mind”, or Norbert Szabó with his puppet installation. The diversity is further increased by various music performances: classical music, jazz, or the urban vibe of DJs will contribute to the atmosphere of raypainting in their own right.

Fénybolygó/ Beamsphere factfile:

24 pcs of 18 by 18 cms glass paintings; 3 four-day compositions

Technical data: 24 pcs of high-capacity projectors;

Total power: 114 000 W; luminance: 1 690 000 ANSI-lumen

Projected surface: 9500 square-meters, one 14-meter high, custom designed projection tower (industrial aluminium structure); outdoor furniture

Venue: Budapest, 55 Krisztina krt, Magyar Telekom Headquarters

Time: 19 December 2005 to 1 January 2006

Opening ceremony, press opening: 19 December, 3:30 p.m. (the light conditions are the best at this time; the lights have less contrast against the not-yet black skyline right after sunset)