Institute Liszt Sofia continues its successful series of summer residencies for young Hungarian artists, in collaboration with the Studio of Young Artists' Association (FKSE, Hungary). This year, from 12 to 26 June, Regina Sárvári completed a two-week residency program at the Institute, the results of which are displayed in our gallery.
The exhibition is open until August 19.
Regina Sárvári is an artist from Dunaújváros, Hungary, drawing inspiration from the city's history, culture, and architecture. Her artistic work encompasses various media and techniques such as photography, performance, installation, and embroidery. She graduated as a media artist from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts (Budapest) in 2024.
Her residency project, From the White Danube to the Black Sea, focuses on water pollution. Combining performance, media documentation, and tangible proof, her exhibition aims to raise awareness of the environmental damage affecting the waters of Hungary and Bulgaria.
"I come from the Danube, a river that is a significant source of pollution for the Black Sea. Like the Danube, the Black Sea faces serious environmental issues, including eutrophication, plastic waste, and oil spills, threatening its fragile ecosystems. Agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, rapid urbanisation, tourism, military activities, and climate change all worsen these challenges.
The name Black Sea likely originated from the Anatolian Turks, who referred to the southern waters as white and the northern ones as black. The term appears in Hungarian documents and Icelandic sagas, with the Bulgars playing a key role in establishing it.
In Bulgarian folklore, the White Danube is not just a river, but a symbol of the nation’s struggle for freedom. White is not just a colour, but a representation of joy, grandeur, and beauty in the language and traditional attire.
Emerging initiatives and regulations for the sustainable management of the Danube and the Black Sea are not well coordinated. Effective management of the Danube by conservation and water management experts is crucial to enhancing the condition of the Black Sea. My exhibition aims to emphasise the need for stronger connections and regulations between the two bodies of water."
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