ZOLTÁN SZEGEDY-MASZÁK

born in Budapest, 1969
lives and works in Budapest

szmz.hu

Since the early 90’s, the beginning of his career as intermedia artist, the analogue and digital feedback and the algorithms interpreting or generating digital images and imaging data have remained as integral elements in Zoltán Szegedy-Maszák’s work. The Visual Communication, an interactive work, reflects these basic ideas.


Although being an international well-known figure of digital or computer art, Szegedy-Maszák’s photographic œuvre contains pieces executed solely with analogue technique. “I applied photographical methods in almost every early works of mine – confesses the artist –, yet none of my visual artworks, whether they involve analogue or digital imaging, contain photography in a traditional sense. I use the definition Images of Light, which sounds both bombastic and somewhat kitsch, merely because I have failed to find a better description for my real intent. I have never been interested in recording a scene or an object; my real concern has always been the experimentation with optical imaging, or with light as a phenomenon of nature.”

Gergely Ligetfalvi

EXHIBITIONS

BIOGRAPHY

ACADEMIC CAREER

2020 –

Regular Member of the Széchenyi Academy of Literature and Arts

2012 – 2022

Director of Doctoral School, Hungarian University of Fine Arts

2011 –

professor, Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Intermedia Dept

2009 – 2012

General Vice-Rector, Hungarian University of Fine Arts Budapest

2007 –

Habilitation Qualification in Visual Arts

2005 – 2009

Vice Rector of Education, Hungarian University of Fine Arts Budapest

2003 –

associate professor at the University of Fine Arts, Intermedia Dept.

2003 –

Doctor of Liberal Arts degree at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts

1999 – 2002

DLA studies, Hungarian University of Fine Arts Budapest, Intermedia Dept.

1997 –

assistant professor at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Intermedia Dept.

1996 – 2002

program coordinator of C3 (Center for Culture and Communication) Budapest

1994 – 1996

Lecturer of computer studies at the postgraduate video & telecommunications course of the ELTE University Budapest

1994 – 1995

Lecturer of computer-animation at the Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts

1992 – 1994

postgraduate studies, Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest

1992 –

Lecturer of computer studies at the Intermedia Department

1988 – 1992

Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, Painting Department, Budapest (teachers: Gábor Nagy, later Dóra Maurer)

PRIZES AND GRANTS

2010 –

Munkácsy state art award

2008 –

Camera Obscura – second prize of the restricted tender by Hungarian Museum of Photography

2005 – 2007

Derkovits Gyula fellowship

2003 – 2004

Deák Ferenc post doctorial scholarship

2003 –

finalist for Nam June Paik Award

1999 – 2002

Derkovits scholarship

1995 –

Hungarian Photobiennal Esztergom/Budapest: price of the magazine “Fotóművészet”
European Media Artist in Residence, Dessau, Bauhaus

1993 –

Eötvös Foundation, Budapest

1992 –

1st price of Hermann Lipót Foundation

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022

Hardly Readable Works, Kisterem, Budapest

2020

Sole and Joint Works 2020 (with Márton Fernezelyi), Artus Studio, Budapest

2019

We Cannot See Clearly, Kisterem, Budapest, Hungary

2016

Smalltalk2016: Hello Stranger!, Kisterem, Budapest

2015

Kisterem, Budapest, Hungary

2014

B5 Gallery, Targu. Mures, Romania

2013

Sole and Joint Works 2.0, Magma, Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania

2012

In Terms of Hardware, Kisterem, Budapest

2008

Sole and Joint Works, Museum of Paks, Hungary

2007

AURA 2.0, Dorottya Gallery, Budapest
Collection Deák, Székesfehérvár

2006

SeeThrough, networked installation: Hungarian Institute Paris – French Institute Budapest

2004

SeeThrough, networked installation: Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Karlsruhe (D), Ars Electronica Center, Linz (AT), Millenáris Budapest

2003

Promenade 2.0, C3 Gallery, Budapest
Raiffeisen Gallery, Budapest

2001

Raiffeisen Gallery, Budapest

1999

Promenade, Ars Electronica Center, Linz
Variations on Steganography, Collegium Budapest – Institute for Advanced Studies, Budapest

1998

Achilleus and the Turtle, Studio Gallery, Budapest

1996

In the Belly of the Whale, Kiscelli Museum, Budapest (with Dóra Maurer)

1993

Goethe Institut, Budapest

1991

Ostmodern, Künstlerhaus Klenzestr. München (with Attila Csörgő & Róza El-Hassan)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2022

Delineo ergo Cogito, Vasarely Museum, Budapest
The Masters of Graphic Arts - 11th International Biennal of Drawing and Graphic Arts, Flóris Rómer Museum of Art and History, Győr, Hungary
Winter Listing, Kisterem Gallery, Budapest

2021

Wide Angle, Ludwig Museum, Budapest
Disciples of Dóra Maurer, David Kovats Pop-up Gallery, London, Liszt Institute, Brussels
Sketch, Kisterem Gallery, Budapest

2020

THE DEAD WEB - THE END, Ludwig Museum, Budapest
Tamás Waliczky: Imaginary Cameras, Ludwig Museum, Budapest
Finally We Can Learn Something, an exhibition by Kisterem Gallery, Kincsem Palace, Budapest
MOHOLY-NAGY 125, Hegyvidék Gallery, Budapest

2018

GameOmetry, Vasarely Múzeum, Budapest
Dia-logos, ZKM, Karlsruhe

2016

Tértelenítés (De-spacing) – exibition with Zsombor Pólya, Artbázis, Budapest
The Tongue is not a Reliable Instrument, B32 Gallery, Budapest

2015

TIMEBASE – Time-Based Media in Contemporary Art, New Budapest Gallery
Thougths around the Black Square, Museum Vasarely of the Hungarian Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

2014

Contemporaries: collectors and artists, New Budapest Gallery, Hungary
The State of Things, Castle Gallery, Veszprém, Hungary

2013

Coded Images – Informatics in Photography, Aquarium, Budapest, Hungary
Cake, Gallery of Miskolc, Hungary
Conceptualism Today, Kunsthalle Paks, Hungary
Still – Photography in the Museum, MODEM, Debrecen, Hungary

2012

Works Based on Human Intervention, Kunsthalle Paks, Hungary
Quadratic Equations, Kepes Institute, Eger
Rangefinder, Kepes Center, Eger, Hungary

2011

Background II. – Neither Master, nor Student, Kisterem, Budapest
Grafitri XXV. – Mimetical Constructions, Rákóczi-ház, Miskolc
Coleur Locale – Hungarian Contemporary Artworks, 320fok, Siófok
Gateways – Art and Networked Culture, KUMU Art Museum, Tallin

2010

Contemporary Media Art, Arthouse Veszprém
Art exhibition of state award winners 2010, Magyar Alkotóművészek Háza, Budapest
Concrete Photo, Photogram, Vasarely Museum Budapest

2009

Máquinas de mirar. O cómo se origan las imágenes, Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, Sevilla
Camera Obscura, House of Hungarian Photographers, Budapest
Agóra Digitáliában – Digital Trends in Contemporary Hungarian Art 2, Magyar Alkotóművészek Háza, Budapest
Visual Tactics, Kunsthalle Budapest

2008

Blickmaschinen – Visual Tacticts, Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen
Camera Obscura, Hungarian House of Photography, Budapest
Constructive-Concrete Wanted, Vasarely Museum Budapest
Camera Obscura, Millenáris, Budapest

2007

ARTINACT, Paksi Képtár, Paks
Wolfgang von Kempelen. Mensch [in der] Maschine, ZKM – Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Karlsruhe
Kempelen, Kunsthalle Budapest

2006

Re:mbrandt – Contemporary Hungarian Artists Respond, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
ACM Multimedia Interactive Art Exhibition, Santa Barbara CA (USA)
Real and Virtual Spaces, Vasarely Museum Budapest

2005

Dingpolitik – Making Things Public, ZKM – Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Karlsruhe
Active Image, NCCA Moscow
Digital Media Artworks, House of the Future, Millenáris, Budapest

2004

Second World, APA Ateliers pro Arts, Budapest
EU&You, Vienna – Graz – Szombathely, Railway Stations
The Hidden Holocaust, Kunsthalle Budapest

2003

Aura – After the Age of Technical Reproduction, Millenáris, Budapest

2002

Nam June Paik Award, NRW Forum, Dusseldorf
VISION – Image and Perception, Kunsthalle Budapest
Hungarian Electro-graphy, National Museum, Belgrade
Zweite Welt (Second World), KunstAllianz Berlin
Iconoclash, ZKM Karlsruhe

2001

Young Artists from Hungary, ICA London
On Photogram, C3 Gallery Budapest
C3 ou la jeune création, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris

2000

Media Modell, Kunsthalle Budapest
Intuition, Innovation, Invention, Kunsthalle Budapest
Derkovits scholarship holders’ exhibition, Ernst Museum, Budapest

1999

Intermedia – Inductive Point of Junction, Artpool P60 Budapest
Interstanding III., Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallin
Kunst der neunziger Jahre in Ungarn, Akademie der Künste, Berlin
Young and serious – recycled images, Ernst Museum, Budapest
Perspective, Kunsthalle Budapest

1998

Digital Glance, Trafó Gallery, Budapest
DEAF Festival, Rotterdam
Trieste Contemporanea 98, Trieste
SeaFair, Skopje, Macedonia
Inter/Media/Art, Ernst Museum, Budapest
Obserwatorium, Centrum Sztuki Wsplczesnej – Zamek Ujazdowski, Warsaw

1997

Áthidalás, Danube Museum Esztergom
The code, exhibition and lecture with Gustav Hámos and Miklós Peternák, Vilém Flusser Symposion, Goethe Institut Budapest
Internet Galaxis, Museum of Fine Arts Budapest

1996

Beyond Art, Ludwig Museum, Budapest
Exploration Network, Center for Culture and Communication, Budapest
Internet Galaxis, Budapest Gallery
The Butterfly Effect, Kunsthalle, Budapest

1995

Ostranenie, Bauhaus Dessau
Autokatalízis, Vizivárosi Gallery, Budapest
Fotogramok (Photograms), Vigadó Gallery, Budapest

1994

Fotogramok (Photograms), Photobiennal, Esztergom
Sculpture City, RAM Galerie, Amsterdam
Intermedia Diploma, Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest
Rajz, rajzolás… (Drawing, to draw…), Polish Institute, Budapest

1993

Polyphony, Budapest
Jövőgyűjtés (Collecting future), Liget Gallery, Budapest
Tér-képzetek III. (Space-concepts III.), Budapest Gallery, Budapest

1992

Aritmia, Uitz hall, Dunaújváros
Tér-képzetek I. ( Space-concepts I.), Budapest Gallery, Budapest
Fotogram (Photogram), Goethe Institut, Budapest

1991

Sub Voce, Műcsarnok, Budapest
Oszcilláció (Oscillation), 6th Bastel, Komarno ( Czechoslovakia) – Kunsthalle, Budapest
Áthatás (Cross-Reflections), Fészek Gallery, Budapest
Olaj (Oil), Fészek Club, Budapest

1990

Árnyék (Shade), Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, Barcsay Hall, Budapest

1989

Det nya Ungrens Konst, Kulturcentrum Ystadt, Stockholm

INTERACTIVE INSTALLATIONS

smalltalk 2016: hello stranger!

Instant Phono-Visual Poetrizator (Pseudo-Chaotic Dadamaton)

Promenade, Interactive VR Installation, 1998/2002

Videos

SELECTED PRESS

Sub Voce, Catalogue, published by Műcsarnok, Budapest, 1991.
The Genes of Architecture (CD-ROM documentation of the Internet workshop Budapest-Wien-Rotterdam, published by Attila Foundation, Rotterdamm, 1994)
Camera-Obscura-Photogram Fotművészet 1994. 3-4.
Intermedia Balkon 1995 Feb.
Crossroads in Central Europe – Ideas, Themes, Methods and Problems of Contemporary Art and Art Criticism edited by Katalin Keserű, published by the Association of Hungarian Creative Artists, 1996. ISBN 963 04 8548 6
Bohár András: This is a(nother) world Balkon 1996 December
Kuglóf és fasírt – Austrian and Hungarian filmavantgarde catalogue published by the Béla Balázs Studio, Budapest 1996
Peter Weibel: Jenseits von Kunst Passagen Verlag, 1997. ISBN 3-85165-254-1
Petőcz András: In the Belly of the Whale Magyar Hírlap 1997. Jan. 7.
L. Simon László: Virtual Sculptures on the Net interview with Zoltán Szegedy-Maszák, Magyar Műhely 102, Spring, 1997
Cryptogram Magyar Műhely 102, Spring, 1997
Miklós Peternák: Achilleus and the turtle Balkon 98/5
Obserwatorium Catalogue published by Műcsarnok, Budapest, 1998.
DEAF 98 catalogue 1998, V2_Organisatie, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. ISBN 90-5662-090-8
Bel Tempo 1999, Trieste Contemporanea, Triest, Italy
The Butterfly Effect – Current Coordinates CD-ROM, published by C3 Center for Culture and Communication Budapest, 1999.
Young and serious – recycled images Catalogue published by the Studio of Young Artists Association Budapest, 1999. ISBN 963 03 8250 4
Kunst der neunziger Jahre in Ungarn Catalogue published by the Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany. ISBN 3-88331-033-6
István Hajdu: Designing the meaning” (Jelentésdizájn) Interview, Balkon 99/11,12
István Hajdu: Designing the meaning” (Jelentésdizájn) Interview in the book entitled “Előbb-utóbb” (Before and After), Orpheus Publishing House 1999, ISBN 963 9101 61 3
Media Modell Catalogue published by Műcsarnok, Budapest, 2001.
Perspective Catalogue published by Műcsarnok, Budapest, 2001.
Dóra Maurer: Fényelvtan (On Photogram) Magyar Fotográfiai Múzeum-Balassi Kiadó Budapest, 2001 ISBN 963 8383 28 3
Iconoclash Catalogue, ZKM Karlsruhe-MIT Press 2002 ISBN 0-262 62172-X
Zweite Welt (Second World – Artists from Budapest) Catalogue, KunstAllianz Berlin, 2002 ISBN 963-440-954-7
MÉLYI József: Hidden Space. Conceptional Help to the Works of Zoltán Szegedy-Maszák, Hungarian Lettre Internationale (47/2002-2003)
Nam June Paik Award Catalogue, Hatje Cantz Verlag 2002 ISBN 3-7757-1258-5
VISION Catalogue, C3 Foundation Budapest, ISBN 963 204 494 0
Iconoclash – Beyond the Image Wars in Science, Religion, and Art , Catalogue, ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe-MIT Press, ISBN 0-262-62172-x
Elhallgatott Holokauszt / Bisterdo Holokaust / The Hidden Holocaust, Catalogue, Műcsarnok Budapest, 2004, ISBN 963 9115 91 6
Making Things Public – Atmospheres of Democracy , Catalogue, ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe-MIT Press, 2005, ISBN 0-262-12279-0
DÉKEI Kriszta: Joyful Science (Vidám tudomány) – Szegedy-Maszák Zoltán – Fernezelyi Márton: Aura 2.0, Magyar Narancs 2007-08-09
Kempelen, Catalogue, Műcsarnok-C3 Alapítvány, 2007
HAJDU István: Embergépember – Kempelen a Műcsarnokban, Magyar Narancs 2007-04-19
Joyful Science – Interview with Zoltán Szegedy-Maszák & Márton Fernezelyi In: Praesens — Central European Contemporary Art Review 2007/1.
RIEDER Gábor: Szegedy-Maszák Zoltán és Fernezelyi Márton, Artportal July 2007
Hermann Veronika: Fénykényszer, Balkon, 2007/7-8
Wolfgang von Kempelen. Mensch [ in der ] Maschine, Catalogue, ZKM – Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Karlsruhe – Matthes & Seitz Berlin, 2007
Szegedy-Maszák – Fernezelyi: Collaborative Works 1997-2007, Catalogue, az Ernst Múzeum Dorottya Galériája, 2007, ISBN 978-963-7032-37-0
ARTINACT, Catalogue, Museum of Paks, Paks, 2007
DÉKEI Kriszta: Szegedy-Maszák Zoltán, Artmagazin 2007/5
ENTZ Sarolta Réka: 01101011 11101001 01110000, Új Művészet 2007/6
Blickmaschinen oder wie Bilder entstehen, Catalogue, Cat, Dumont Verlag, 2008, ISBN 978 3 8321 9186 3
Szegedy-Maszák Zoltán, bilingual book and DVD, edited by Zoltán Prosek, Museum of Paks, 2009, ISBN 978 963 87881 1 5
Hermann Veronika: A szavak és a dolgok – Szegedy-Maszák Zoltán: Magányos és társas művek,, Balkon 2009/2
Pillanatgépek, catalogue, C3 Center for Culture and Communication – Műcsarnok Kunsthalle Budapest, 2009, ISBN 978 964 9506 35 0
Máquinas de mirar. O cómo se origan las imágenes, Catalogue, Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, Sevilla, 2009, ISBN 978-84-8266-859-8.
Concrete Photo, Photogram, Catalogue, Vasarely Museum, Budapest, 2010
Grafitri XXV., katalógus, Miskolci galéria könyvek 44, 2011
Gateways – Art and Networked Culture, Catalogue, Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2011, ISBN 978-3-7757-2796-9
Hermann Veronika: A jelrendszerek magányossága (The Loneliness of Symbologies), Balkon 2012/11-12, pp. 30-32.
Sole and Joint Works 2.0, Catalogue, MAGMA Contemporary Medium, 2013
Bakk-Dávid Tímea: Sole and Joint Works – Language is not a Reliable Instrument. We should not talk about the Picture., Transindex, 2013 május 24.
Seres Szilvia: Interwiev with Zoltán Szegedy-Maszák, Artmagazin, 2014 March
Mélyi József: To Do Lists in Images, Műértő, 2015 February
Hermann Veronika: Weekdays and Miracles, Balkon  2015/3
Időalap – Timebase, catalogue
Hermann Veronika: A legkedvesebb idegenek, Balkon  2016/6
DLADLA100, catalogue, Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Budapest, 2017
Fugue, catalog, OSAS – Vasarely Museum, 2018
Varga Tünde: Szoftver tekintetében: az irányított véletlen szépsége, Tempevölgy 2018/3 pp. 102-120
GameOmetry, catalog, OSAS – Vasarely Museum, 2019
Dia-Logos, catalog, ZKM Kralsruhe – CCCB Barcelona – Artlab Lausanne, 2019
Thinking Machines – Ramon Lull and the ars combinatoria, EPFL Artlab, Lausanne
Bauhaus 100, catalog, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, 2019
Code and Algorithm, OSAS – catalog, Vasarely Museum, 2019
Beáta Istvánkó: Machines should work! (Dolgozzanak a gépek!), Új Művészet, 2020 September
Finally We Can Learn Something, catalog and leaflet by Kisterem Gallery