Laszlo Erdesz Gallery owner

Laszlo has worked for 30 years - presents 1920s avant-garde artists and overseas-based Hungarian artists. The Guggenheim, Tate Modern, Pompidou have representative works from this school of art.

Question: How have government interventions helped or hindered his work and how has his working context changed?

Short term: Much more international now. e.g. Laszlo’s travelling to Dublin to deliver a picture. Then he’s travelling to St Petersburg to install work in a new photography gallery. Travelling to Barcelona in July connected to one work. Last year Laszlo worked on exhibition of one of the most important Hungarian painters, Vajda Lajos. This then toured Washington and Antwerp. A book was published to accompany this exhibition.

All these events are private enterprises. It’s very difficult to cooperate with public organisations in this field. They don’t help. The main reason is because the art business cannot work with the red tape of municipalities.

The most useful thing would be to change the attitude of people working for public organisations so they understand the cultural and economic value of art to Hungary. e.g. Laszlo saw it as important to commemorate anniversary of the the death of Vajda Lajos the government resisted this, but finally they agreed on supporting the exhibition at the national gallery. It was this eventual support (from the government) that allowed its international tour.

Laszlo had to fight have walls painted and appropriate lighting installed.

Long Term: There used to be a State Art Fund. It had four arms:

• Publishing
• Construction/execution (of big sculptures for instance)
• Applied art with national branches, like an art chain store
• Gallery company with 29 fine art “shops”

These made a profit. They were used to create artist colonies and pay for artists’ pensions. After the change in regime (1990) this system came to an end. Half the money was stolen. The other half of the money was taken over by a group of artists who wanted to run their own company. The wealth was wasted - as artists aren’t managers! These are the ruins of this state system that gave way to the current private sector arts sector that we see now.

Laszlo was the first (22 years ago) to quit this state supported (legacy) system and start his own private gallery.

In Hungary the system of galleries is based on capitalist system, but as Hungarians want to do our own thing in our own way. In west: auction houses and galleries are two different businesses. Galleries deal with art. Auction houses deal with money. In Hungary: galleries wanted to create their own auction houses. This resulted in chaos. Art is not considered to be a profitable or significant industry.

In spite of the gallery starting from within these ruins, the new system prospered until the general financial recession in 2009, which commenced with the New York stock market crash of that year. Laszlo was in NY at that time, hanging an exhibition. Many people came and showed their interest in the work before the crash. The day after the crash (at the opening ceremony) there were NO works sold. This has also happened in Hungary, albeit delayed by six months. But hopefully, step-by-step the art market will recover as the general financial situation improves.

The newly formed government (centre-right, since April 2010) seems more interested in the creative sector as an industry.

With traditional sectors like agriculture suffering, what we can count on in this economy is the Hungarian brain - our creativity. We can perform well when we have to! There is a new design initiative that will be supported by the government.

Laszlo has worked with the new government on a programme to support the creative sector which consists of:

• Incubator where technology industries can work together (e.g. Rubik Cube - great idea; simple materials and design).
• Design Centre where we can encounter the theotical background to high-quality work in congresses, workshops and exhibitions.
• Marketing the work. This needs finances to communicate high quality work internationally.

New artists who will create the work itself is being Art University of Moholy Nagy
. There are two private schools that also help with this field.  To put this in context, the whole budget of Harvard is 1.5 times higher than the whole Hungarian state support for higher education.

As for arts administration or management, there are new majors at colleges for art management - for instance at the International Business School in Budapest. There are also people migrating into the arts sector from others (for instance, Laszlo was an engineer before).

Question: Has being a member of the EU helped or hindered?

Earlier Hungary used to be an exciting, interesting country. Not anymore! It used to be easier for top-notch people to come in from the USA and Germany - only 5% of the highest volume of excellent immigrants now come into the country. However, there are new opportunities. Erasmus travel grants, we can travel and trade through the EU easily. For instance, Laszlo is working with Romanians on redevelopment of a castle which is being financed by the EU. This will result in the creation of a new museum.

Like municipalities, with the EU the problem again is red tape!

If we wanted to increase the inflow of skilled people we need to have more suitable places to live, a better general economic environment and a future-oriented perspective (that keeps skilled Hungarian young people as well as attracting people from overseas). Another Hungarian trait is to like/respect stuff which is from overseas.