István Harasztÿ 'Sweetie'
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
The mother tongue of Haraszty is machine. He created a new genre in Hungary, a peculiar version of kinetic sculpture. He makes his artworks all by himself. The main components of his sculptures are mobility, conception and game.
Early Haraszty-objects were constructivist, mobile sculptures with a surrealistic tone - he refers to this period as Play Art, that is to say, social criticism in a playful approach.
Gag, moral parabola and sociological references are present in his works. His art moves from gentle irony to satire or even to pamphlet - narrated in his mechanical language.
Machinery is associated with lassitude and sweating. Haraszty, however, desires to create such a notion that machinery means only good, that it brings us joy and evokes respect without fear. We must love machines, but must never be like them. We mustn't become mechanized.
He is Sweetie because he called everybody sweetie.
STUDIES
1964-1970. student in Dési Huber Fine Art Group, his master is Ferenc Laborcz
1953. machine operator teacher
1951-1953. machine operator student
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1988. daadgalerie, (West-) Berlin
1981. Museum of Applied Arts , Budapest
1977. István király Museum, Székesfehérvár
1975. University of Debrecen Medical School , Debrecen
1972. Kápolnatárlat, Balatonboglár
1972.Fészek Művészklub (Pódium), Budapest, with Molnár Sándor
1972.Egyetemi Színpad (Holmi), Budapest
1969. Ifjú Gárda Community Center, Debrecen
1967. József Attila Community Center, Budapest
1967.Óbudai Shipyard, Budapest
ART FAIRS
2020. Antik & Art fair, Faur Zsófi Gallery, Budapest
AWARDS, ACCOMPLISMENTS
1988. Munkácsy-prize
1984. a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst West-Berlin scholarship (it was available for him from 1987 to 88)
1984. Honnorary Mention Award, The Sculptor's Society of Canada, John. B. Aird Gallery, Toronto
1975. Kassák-prize, Hungarian Workshop, Paris
ARTWORKS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Hungarian National Gallery , Budapest
Janus Pannonius Museum, Pécs
Wilhelm-Lehmbruck-Museum, Duisburg
Budapest History Museum
István király Museum, Székesfehérvár
Modern Múzeum, Szöul
MEMBERSHIP
1993. Széchenyi Academy of Literature and Arts