Andras Mohacsi: Vertical Silence
In the dominant philosophical discourses of the 20th century 鈥 particularly within phenomenology 鈥 stone was long considered a 鈥渂are thing鈥: a worldless, meaningless object. Yet stone is an ancient witness and medium of the world, present in both the material and spiritual layers of culture: in our literary and visual artworks, monuments, ritual objects, and daily items. As a slowly eroding analogue carrier of messages, it also conveys a sense of permanence and order. Within it are concentrated the forces of nature, archaic forms of knowledge, and the universal symbols of art.
Vertical Silence, the solo exhibition of Andr谩s Moh谩csi, presents a selection from over three decades of the artist鈥檚 practice, with particular emphasis on the timeless presence of his monumental stone sculptures. Moh谩csi鈥檚 artistic language and way of thinking were shaped by the tradition of the Vill谩ny Art Colony 鈥 established in 1967 and pivotal in the history of Hungarian sculpture 鈥 where, as a student of Istv谩n Bencsik, he adopted the principles of autonomous, internally driven sculptural practice. The land art movement of the 1960s 鈥 with key figures such as Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt 鈥 alongside the parallel emergence of minimalist and anti-form sculpture that explored the notion of space, as seen in the works of Richard Serra, Ulrich R眉ckriem, and Robert Morris, had a profound influence not only on the theoretical and institutional frameworks of Western art but also 鈥 albeit indirectly 鈥 on the artistic scenes of Eastern Europe, shaped under political repression. In Hungary, these international tendencies became legible primarily through the practices of artist residencies and symposia established from the late 1960s in remote or peripheral locations 鈥 such as those in Vill谩ny and Duna煤jv谩ros. These colonies operated as autonomous zones, where the use of natural materials 鈥 stone in Vill谩ny, steel in Duna煤jv谩ros 鈥 along with shifts in scale, site-specific thinking, and the analytical exploration of landscape, space, and the human presence, gave rise to discourses that radically diverged from the official sculptural norms of the time. This non-narrative and conceptual approach, however, has remained only marginally received and represented within Hungary. Its legacy was never fully integrated into the recognised, 鈥渙fficial鈥 mainstream of Hungarian sculpture tradition.
The stone sculptures of Andr谩s Moh谩csi, exhibited in the industrial hall of Kahan Art Space Buda, are not archaeological artefacts but the artist鈥檚 statement 鈥 assertive, living presences that actively shape and reinterpret the surrounding space. Moh谩csi鈥檚 sculptural practice is fundamentally defined by stone, carving, and the laws of statics. He does not work with figuration 鈥 his practice is rooted in an abstract, material-driven approach that builds on the directness, honesty, and inherent potential of stone. His preferred medium is granite, a 200- to 400-million-year-old rock that preserves the memory of geological time. Working with it demands profound concentration, physical endurance, technical precision, and a series of irrevocable decisions. In carving, every intervention is singular and final 鈥 there is no return, no correction. This radical process, defined by a disciplined and consequential relationship between material, artist, and tools, is what gives Moh谩csi鈥檚 sculptures their intellectual and physical gravity.
Moh谩csi鈥檚 sculptural practice can be understood as an ongoing exploration of spatial perception 鈥 an engagement with the dramaturgy of space. He works with monumental masses yet imagines sculptural compositions that are both transparent in form and accessible in space. His sculptures take shape according to the laws of statics, finding their final form through a delicate dialogue between mass, balance, and displacement. The tensions between the blocks and their subtly dislocated positions generate a disquieting stillness. Yet, over time, as the viewer dwells within the space, their solid presence becomes familiar. The power dynamic between the material and the artist is continuously renegotiated during both the act of creating and installation 鈥 sometimes the artist asserts control, other times the material insists on its own logic. In this process of mutual formation, a bond of trust takes shape 鈥 a quiet alliance in which both parties seek compromise. Through this interaction, artist and material shape and temper one another. The elemental stone not only takes on form, but also, in its resistance, exerts influence 鈥 becoming an active participant in the work itself.
Recommended for you
In the dominant philosophical discourses of the 20th century 鈥 particularly within phenomenology 鈥 stone was long considered a 鈥渂are thing鈥: a worldless, meaningless object. Yet stone is an ancient witness and medium of the world, present in both the material and spiritual layers of culture: in our literary and visual artworks, monuments, ritual objects, and daily items. As a slowly eroding analogue carrier of messages, it also conveys a sense of permanence and order. Within it are concentrated the forces of nature, archaic forms of knowledge, and the universal symbols of art.
Vertical Silence, the solo exhibition of Andr谩s Moh谩csi, presents a selection from over three decades of the artist鈥檚 practice, with particular emphasis on the timeless presence of his monumental stone sculptures. Moh谩csi鈥檚 artistic language and way of thinking were shaped by the tradition of the Vill谩ny Art Colony 鈥 established in 1967 and pivotal in the history of Hungarian sculpture 鈥 where, as a student of Istv谩n Bencsik, he adopted the principles of autonomous, internally driven sculptural practice. The land art movement of the 1960s 鈥 with key figures such as Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt 鈥 alongside the parallel emergence of minimalist and anti-form sculpture that explored the notion of space, as seen in the works of Richard Serra, Ulrich R眉ckriem, and Robert Morris, had a profound influence not only on the theoretical and institutional frameworks of Western art but also 鈥 albeit indirectly 鈥 on the artistic scenes of Eastern Europe, shaped under political repression. In Hungary, these international tendencies became legible primarily through the practices of artist residencies and symposia established from the late 1960s in remote or peripheral locations 鈥 such as those in Vill谩ny and Duna煤jv谩ros. These colonies operated as autonomous zones, where the use of natural materials 鈥 stone in Vill谩ny, steel in Duna煤jv谩ros 鈥 along with shifts in scale, site-specific thinking, and the analytical exploration of landscape, space, and the human presence, gave rise to discourses that radically diverged from the official sculptural norms of the time. This non-narrative and conceptual approach, however, has remained only marginally received and represented within Hungary. Its legacy was never fully integrated into the recognised, 鈥渙fficial鈥 mainstream of Hungarian sculpture tradition.
The stone sculptures of Andr谩s Moh谩csi, exhibited in the industrial hall of Kahan Art Space Buda, are not archaeological artefacts but the artist鈥檚 statement 鈥 assertive, living presences that actively shape and reinterpret the surrounding space. Moh谩csi鈥檚 sculptural practice is fundamentally defined by stone, carving, and the laws of statics. He does not work with figuration 鈥 his practice is rooted in an abstract, material-driven approach that builds on the directness, honesty, and inherent potential of stone. His preferred medium is granite, a 200- to 400-million-year-old rock that preserves the memory of geological time. Working with it demands profound concentration, physical endurance, technical precision, and a series of irrevocable decisions. In carving, every intervention is singular and final 鈥 there is no return, no correction. This radical process, defined by a disciplined and consequential relationship between material, artist, and tools, is what gives Moh谩csi鈥檚 sculptures their intellectual and physical gravity.
Moh谩csi鈥檚 sculptural practice can be understood as an ongoing exploration of spatial perception 鈥 an engagement with the dramaturgy of space. He works with monumental masses yet imagines sculptural compositions that are both transparent in form and accessible in space. His sculptures take shape according to the laws of statics, finding their final form through a delicate dialogue between mass, balance, and displacement. The tensions between the blocks and their subtly dislocated positions generate a disquieting stillness. Yet, over time, as the viewer dwells within the space, their solid presence becomes familiar. The power dynamic between the material and the artist is continuously renegotiated during both the act of creating and installation 鈥 sometimes the artist asserts control, other times the material insists on its own logic. In this process of mutual formation, a bond of trust takes shape 鈥 a quiet alliance in which both parties seek compromise. Through this interaction, artist and material shape and temper one another. The elemental stone not only takes on form, but also, in its resistance, exerts influence 鈥 becoming an active participant in the work itself.
Artists on show
What's on nearby
