When youth's imaginations run wild, even something as mundane as a construction project can be liberated from the drabness of everyday life. Our third and final creative competition, the M3 metro reconstruction from a different point of view, was an unexpected success. The award ceremony, held on 1 March, was met with great interest.
The competition was organised by BKV Zrt. Metro Reconstruction Project Directorate (MFPI) and supported by the Deák17 Youth Art Gallery. From the very first moment, the cooperation was clear and natural, as the Gallery is happy to support any initiative that focuses on encouraging children's creative activities.
For more than five years, the M3 metro reconstruction has been making life and transport difficult for the people of Budapest, but this complex, hidden work will soon come to an end, so after 2018 and 2020, we have launched a creative competition for the last time in 2022. We wanted to see in a different perspective what has been part of our lives for nearly eight years, for those of us who have been managing the reconstruction of the metro line. The mysterious world that lies underground is always a challenge for us, but now, through the artwork, we have once again discovered how special our situation is.
The children and young people have shown us that the underground is a labyrinth of mysteries, which for a child's soul is the equivalent of a theme park. All together, the works of art become a complete urban social tableau; mums and dads with prams, wheelchair and cane users, dog walkers, teens on phones, teenagers on skateboards, but also the princes and princesses and the entire zoo. There are poignant works of art, such as a soldier with a machine gun in the subway car, where bombed-out houses are depicted on fire, alluding to the role of the metro as a shelter.
Works were received from all over the country, with a total of 492 entries. The works range from coloured pencil drawings, chalk drawings, tempera and acrylic paintings to collages, models, films and animation. The quality and quantity of the material submitted is a step up from previous years, thanks to the support of numerous art schools and teachers.
The works were evaluated and judged by a jury of experts, namely Rózsa Rumi, painter and art teacher, Gréta Garami, art historian and deputy director of the Deák17 Youth Art Gallery, and Daniel Labrosse, French-Hungarian artist. It was decided that it was worth showing noteworthy works to the public, in addition to the awarded entries, and so more than a hundred works are on display.
On the afternoon of 1 March, the Gallery was packed to capacity, with children, young people, parents and teachers from all over the country, from Sopron to Nyíregyháza, attending the awards ceremony and exhibition opening. Anett Bősz, Deputy Mayor of Budapest, Tibor Bolla, CEO of BKV Zrt. welcomed the participants and Gréta Garami gave a professional evaluation. Then came the announcement of the results, the awarding of certificates and gifts.
In addition to the professional awards, special prizes were presented by Anett Bősz, Deputy Mayor of Budapest, Tibor Bolla, CEO of BKV Zrt., Katalin Walter, CEO of BKK Zrt., Tibor Radnay Project Director of MFPI, and Gréta Garami, Deputy Director of the Deák17 Youth Art Gallery. Thanks to our generous sponsors, the artists were enriched with many valuable gifts and perhaps a great experience.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to learn about the M3 metro and metro reconstruction and congratulations to the creators!
Click HERE to view the photo compilation of the event.
The exhibition will be on display at the Deák17 Youth Art Gallery from 2-11 March.
Photos by Mihály Nagy/magyarepitok.hu
