BLURRING THE LINES
BLURRING THE LINES

Judit Spanyár

Confrontation

EDITION

2023, Shortlisted

school

Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest, Hungary

Links

juditspanyar.com

 

My photos explore the negotiability of historical legacies and traumas involving unprocessed, controversial and unresolved stories within our family in the recent past. The main motifs are relationships and relations that dissect questions of fallibility, responsibility and identity, offering possibilities of reinterpretation as a way out. In order to interpret, to turn towards each other, it is necessary to confront the events of the past, our own feelings, prejudices or guilt, even if it is difficult. In Eastern Europe, at the beginning of the 21st century, there are few families without ideological confrontations and disputes. The political polarisation of recent years, the deep divisions between political parties, the opposing tendencies, arouse strong emotions in people, which can spill over into the family environment. Historical events and the politics of memory also play a role in the ideological confrontation. Many individual stories remain untold, with lasting consequences in terms of mistrust, lack of solidarity, weakening of social norms, common moral principles and a shared vision of the future. Unresolved grievances are passed on to our children as a kind of debt. I want them to have a more peaceful and harmonious relationship with each other, which is why I have created a three-part series. My work is based on the story of my husband's great-grandfather, who was sentenced to prison in 1949 for hiding a box of bullets, and then had their property and house taken away. On one of the court documents I discovered the signature of my own grandfather, who was then a young forensic judge. So it is not only ideologies that converge in my family, but also history. Just as in many other families, similar stories surface. My work is an interpretation and processing of this contradictory situation. Together, the images can be interpreted as the threads of a fabric. In our lives, we make many decisions adapting to different roles, circumstances and each other, like on a stage. To find our true selves we have to look beyond the surface, often into the past. It matters how generations interact, how our knowledge is passed down, how we relate to each other, to our ancestors, to our children.

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Judit Spanyár

Confrontation

EDITION

2023, Shortlisted

school

Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest, Hungary

Links

juditspanyar.com

 

My photos explore the negotiability of historical legacies and traumas involving unprocessed, controversial and unresolved stories within our family in the recent past. The main motifs are relationships and relations that dissect questions of fallibility, responsibility and identity, offering possibilities of reinterpretation as a way out. In order to interpret, to turn towards each other, it is necessary to confront the events of the past, our own feelings, prejudices or guilt, even if it is difficult. In Eastern Europe, at the beginning of the 21st century, there are few families without ideological confrontations and disputes. The political polarisation of recent years, the deep divisions between political parties, the opposing tendencies, arouse strong emotions in people, which can spill over into the family environment. Historical events and the politics of memory also play a role in the ideological confrontation. Many individual stories remain untold, with lasting consequences in terms of mistrust, lack of solidarity, weakening of social norms, common moral principles and a shared vision of the future. Unresolved grievances are passed on to our children as a kind of debt. I want them to have a more peaceful and harmonious relationship with each other, which is why I have created a three-part series. My work is based on the story of my husband's great-grandfather, who was sentenced to prison in 1949 for hiding a box of bullets, and then had their property and house taken away. On one of the court documents I discovered the signature of my own grandfather, who was then a young forensic judge. So it is not only ideologies that converge in my family, but also history. Just as in many other families, similar stories surface. My work is an interpretation and processing of this contradictory situation. Together, the images can be interpreted as the threads of a fabric. In our lives, we make many decisions adapting to different roles, circumstances and each other, like on a stage. To find our true selves we have to look beyond the surface, often into the past. It matters how generations interact, how our knowledge is passed down, how we relate to each other, to our ancestors, to our children.

← Previous Talent

Next Talent →