Speech-Bubbles/Public Lavatory

2008

13.09.-26.09.2008 2-week action and sculpture intervention
From September 13 to September 26, 2008, a two-week action and sculpture intervention titled "Szóbuborék" took place in Uránváros, Pécs, as part of the "Te itt áll" project organized by the National Institution of Fine Arts across the country's major cities. As the title suggests, the project transformed the word speech-bubble commonly seen in comic books into a three-dimensional object and placed it within a confined space. However, the local government ultimately prohibited the temporary fixation of the work, unintentionally contributing to the definition and evolution of the relationship between the artwork and the audience. Despite this, passers-by interacted with it according to their own order and manner. The smooth, immaculate surface of the sculpture was polished over time, transforming the object from an untouchable sculpture with primarily aesthetic qualities into an almost everyday object.

Simultaneously, another project, part of the "Public Lavatory," involved the reopening of toilets that were previously closed and had lost their public function. An exceptional aspect of this initiative was Csaba Horváth's engagement of self-organizing local communities in both the implementation and operation of making the locality usable. Two-dimensional word bubbles, now placed on a lightbox on the toilet wall, conveyed messages and connected partly with the primary "Szóbuborék" work. In both cases, however, the publication of messages came at the cost of a commitment to the public, highlighting a well-known dilemma in our everyday lives that increasingly affects broader areas.

Text: Katalin Timár
Photos: Csaba Horváth, Balázs Kovács, Attila Galambos