According to an urban legend, “Dog” Geri was too lazy to go to the 25th ARC Poster Exhibition, so — as the mayor of Budapest’s 12th district — he had the luxury of exhibiting the best-of pieces from the past 25 years in the local open-air parking lot.
Before diving into the details, let’s recall what ARC actually is.
ARC is a non-profit organization that once a year gives everyone the opportunity to express their socially critical views in visual form on a given theme.
The ARC Poster Exhibition is a crooked mirror held up to us — to us locals, Hungarians — reflecting the absurdities of our society, while for foreigners it serves as a tool to raise questions about the past 25 years of Hungary’s modern history. It’s a space for posters that portray the disheartening realities of our time with sharp humor and critical insight.
The winning ARC entries are selected by a large and prestigious jury of highly qualified experts.
This year, in an unusual twist, Gergely Kovács, mayor of Budapest’s 12th district and leader of the Two-Tailed Dog Party (Kétfarkú Kutya Párt), provided space for a “Best of ARC” showcase featuring highlights from the past 25 years.
For anyone familiar with Hungarian public life and culture, it’s an incredibly entertaining experience to wander among these razor-sharp posters. For everyone else, it offers an insight into the ironic and painful reality of a nation.
ARC helps us revisit the shameful chapters of our modern age through the slanted mirror of humor. It confronts us with painful social issues such as upbringing, poverty, and emigration — while immigration still remains unspoken. Questions of sexual identity, public deceit, and the rawness of life at a dead end all find their place in this visual time travel.
Go and see this striking historical journey for yourself — it’s free to visit.
Onleash!
all photos published in this article are local stuff
