Géza Perneczky is a protagonist of the Hungarian conceptual art, his early conceptual works and also his publications had a catalyst role on the Hungarian neo-avantgarde tendencies. On the international scene, he became known as one of the founders of the post-fluxus Mail Art movement.
His conceptual works were included in milestone exhibitions, such as the Analogue Networks exhibition in 2014 in MoMA, the Bookmarks exhibition about the Hungarian neo-avantgarde atArt Cologne 2015, or the publication of Centre Pompidou following their actual exhibition about their Photo Collection. Perneczky’s works are present in collections like MOMA, Getty Institute, Walker Art Center, Centre Pompidou, Franklin Furnace Archive, Ludwig Museum, Artpool Budapest etc.
The work of Perneczky has been influential both, in artistic practice and in art theory. He is a well-known and renowned art historian; his critical pieces about international exhibitions and his own Softgeometry publishing (founded by himself in order to be able to distribute his publications) were important channels, transmitting knowledge about art from the other side of the iron curtain. The different roles Perneczky has taken on and their interaction constitute an oeuvre which is and has been constantly improving and enrichening itself. His artworks show the impact of his reflections as an art historian, his work as a publisher, art critic and art archivist, as well as his interest in natural sciences such as botany or fractal theory).
It is no coincidence that until today Perneczky’s work raises quite a lot of attention in these different contexts, just recently seen and discussed in exhibitions and publications in Germany, Poland, France and Hungary. An exhibition opened this February in Weserburg Museum für moderne Kunst in Bremen, presented conceptual pieces that were part of the artists outstanding mail art collection, donated to the museum in 2014. In the same month the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow started an exhibition cycle dealing with the museum collection by displaying a selection of works by Perneczky. These recent events are aware of the artist’s 80th birthday this year, but were actually organized independently from his anniversary. Apart from the museums, other shows were organized in galleries, connecting the exhibition in Chimera-Project to an international network.
The solo exhibition at Chimera-Project Gallery now celebrates Perneczky’s anniversary with a curated selection of works that go under the theme and title POST INFINITE. The displayed works are based on conceptual photo series from the 70’s, which are the best known artworks by the artist so far. The exhibition shows these famous work series in a new context, carefully re-assembled by the artist himself. Together with the chosen graphic works made of rubber stamps, the curated selection reveals the omnipresent influence and importance of mail art in Perneczky’s work – not only via formal qualities or content but rather as a general avantgarde attitude that determines Perneczky artistic practice and his oeuvre as a whole.
The visitors can find information about the context of the conceptual works in the introduction written by the artist, which will be available at the exhibition as a “letter to the viewer”. The style of the artist is specifically direct and personal, which we will have the pleasure to see in real life too, as the artist will be present at the opening.
