Time Travelers from Szentes – historical and ethnographic research days
We would like to share the experiences of a special, professionally and personally rich week, the focus of which was our exhibition under construction – and in it ourselves, researchers, collectors, visitors and creators. This is the third time we have set out on historical-ethnographic research, which took place in the first week of July, in the Museum Tari Láészló in Csongrád.
At the beginning of the week we had the opportunity to personally meet Dr. Fruzsina Cseh, a researcher at the HUN-REN BTK Ethnographic Research Institute, who is the curator of an exhibition currently under construction. During our helping work, we gained insight into the textile industry activities of cottage industry cooperatives.
The professional guidance and experiences of the museum staff were of great help in better understanding the era – the Kádár era – and the social context that our exhibition aims to address.
During the joint work, we also continued our own research that we had started earlier – the result of this is expected to be embodied in an independent exhibition next year, in the organization of which we will also actively participate. To develop the concept and gather inspiration, we visited Budapest on Wednesday, where we spent an unforgettable day at the Retro Experience Center. The exhibition solutions there, the period-accurate interiors and objects not only entertained us, but also filled us professionally.
To better understand the lives of children of that time, we went back to the toys of that time. For this, we also visited the Csongrád Toy Museum, where we could get to know the emblematic pieces of the era through the employees Tamara Tóth and Ágnes Horváth.
Continuing the fieldwork, we returned to the collection of the Tari László Museum, where we were engaged in the selection of objects. We collected pieces that could be given a worthy place in the upcoming exhibition. During the descriptions and context building for the objects, the compilation of the script also began – this was one of the most important results of the week.
During the work process, we received a lot of help from our mentor, Uncle Sanya, and Dorottya Kékegyi, who joined us as a volunteer and museum employee. Dr. Orsolya Gyöngyösi, the director of the museum, provided guidance on the formal and graphic image of the exhibition, which brought us closer to being able to present the topic in a visually exciting and modern way.
We ended the professional days in the evenings in the peace of the Körös Gorge – the relaxing time by the water was nice in the summer heat, and the community-building games played in the evenings helped us relax and recharge for the following days.
This week was not only about work, but also about shared thinking, experiences and serious steps towards the exhibition. The exhibition of the future is already taking shape – in objects, stories and in us. -Lotti Berkecz, Kata Bozó, Móric Balázs Gila, Dávid Rickert, Lili Fanni Sebesi, Szentes, Group 1
