In the temporary space of lucid dreams, Zalán Szakács’ works are rooted that offer a similar liminal escape from everyday life. Here, Szakács operates as a mediator between technology and society. With a fascination for historic technology and his use of light, space, and sound, the artist creates atmospheres in which alternative narratives of technology are presented. How do we relate to technology as human beings, Szakács makes you wonder as he invites you to participate in a joint exploration.
Embodying light and sound
Installation artist and researcher Zalán Szakács explores media theories and historic technologies through the use of light, space, and sound. In his works, he centralizes the body and its senses to explore the impact and meaning of technology. These bodily sensations are not only restricted to vision and sound, but also encompass touch such as the wind caressing the skin and smell, especially in Szakács’ latest research project Tisztás (2023).
Even the sensation of interconnectedness, the energy of others that are near, could be a dimension as an active role of the audience is demanded by his works. How else can the bridge between technology and society Szakács creates be actually functional? Bystanders of his work are challenged to explore the senses of light touching the skin in hazy surroundings as they find themselves standing in the orbital light beams of Eigengrau (2021) and Kring (2021). As if to embody the intangible gestures of light and sound.
"Technology is not merely a medium, but formed in specific times, human relationships and stories"
Temporary escapes
These sensational explorations take place in atmospheres or temporary spaces that create an escape from everyday life. The site-specific work Kring (2021) constructs a moment of contemplation in which time stands still and the Kunstkapel - where this work took place - is remembered through the embodiment of ritualistic gestures of sound, light and circular movement. Eigengrau (2021) functions as a temporary escape in a contemporary setting, in which a light cylinder takes the audience through a narrative of various mental states. Topia (2021) is a ‘screenscape’, a space filled with planes of lights resembling the digital screens we are constantly surrounded by. The work attempts to create an embodied experience of new definitions for the modern screen.
These temporary spaces and atmospheres are inspired by Szakács’ own temporary spaces as his ideas regularly arise through lucid dreaming. In this state, the artist feels like every idea is possible. The result of this are immersive spatial installations that form the medium of perceptual experiences.
Temporary escapes
These sensational explorations take place in atmospheres or temporary spaces that create an escape from everyday life. The site-specific work Kring (2021) constructs a moment of contemplation in which time stands still and the Kunstkapel - where this work took place - is remembered through the embodiment of ritualistic gestures of sound, light and circular movement. Eigengrau (2021) functions as a temporary escape in a contemporary setting, in which a light cylinder takes the audience through a narrative of various mental states. Topia (2021) is a ‘screenscape’, a space filled with planes of lights resembling the digital screens we are constantly surrounded by. The work attempts to create an embodied experience of new definitions for the modern screen.
These temporary spaces and atmospheres are inspired by Szakács’ own temporary spaces as his ideas regularly arise through lucid dreaming. In this state, the artist feels like every idea is possible. The result of this are immersive spatial installations that form the medium of perceptual experiences.
Forgotten media history
But Szakács’ inspiration derives mostly from a certain media archaeological research, which he analyses and tries to position into the 21st-century context. Using the words of the artist: ‘Technology is not merely a medium, but formed in specific times, human relationships and stories.’ Szakács give visibility to forgotten media history and Lichtspiel (2022) is a perfect example of this. The work is based on collaborative research with media archaeologists, curators and optical engineers of projection and light devices of the 17th century and centres the question: How can I reintroduce metaphorical understandings of light in a contemporary context through the interplay of light and lenses?
Communal rituals
In many of Szakács works, the body is the centre of a ritualistic experience. ‘We need rituals to (re-)connect with ourselves and each other.’ New forms of collectivity are proposed by the ritual Eigengrau or the rotating screen of Topia. Through intangible gestures such as the earlier mentioned sound, light, and circular movement, the ritual continues beyond material realities. As such, the memory of the space lives on in and amidst our bodies.
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"We need rituals to (re-)connect with ourselves and each other"
Non-technologies
Extending his interest in site-specificity and history, Zalán’s newest project focuses on the contextual history of Transylvania, the region he grew up in. For this, the artist undertook a field research trip with an interdisciplinary team in July 2022. ‘In Transylvania the belief is shared that we understand society by knowing its past’, the artist explains. His mediating role between technological history and society takes a surprising turn as he here explores non-technologies such as ‘daylight, natural smoke, smell, heat, wind, and humidity as building blocks for atmospheres, to break the sterile character of media art and further introduce tactility and analogue tools in my work'.
This field research will be translated into a documentary and immersive spatial installation called ‘Tisztás’, referring to the Hungarian act wherein people get out into the forests to find contemplation and introspection surrounded by nature. Tisztás invites the spectator into a fictional and undefined landscape. Here, the research of the mystical Transylvania atmospheres is conveyed through various technologies. A true mediator at work.
Tisztás can be visited in spring (2023) in Amsterdam and in summer (2023) in Transylvania.
Topia can still be visited at the Light Art Museum in Budapest, Hungary till the 30th of March 2023.
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