The Capa Grand Prize Hungary is annually awarded to a photographer who works in any branch of photography, has been established professionally, and demonstrates a proven track record of outstanding talent. The Capa Center established the prize to emphasize its commitment to the creation of new artworks that enrich our society. The fellowships and the prize aim at furthering the development of the artists, and encouraging their future experimentation.
The Winner of Capa Grand Prize Hungary 2019: Antal Bánhegyesy
Antal Bánhegyesy: Orthodoxia
Since the regime change more than 7000 Orthodox churches were built in Romania, and more than 1000 are still under construction nowadays. This means that in the last thirty years every second day an Orthodox church was inaugurated in Romania.
After the First World War, the size of the Romanian territory multiplied. Many provinces with different cultural, historical, and national backgrounds merged.
During the communist regime, the state’s tool for strengthening the national identity and unifying the socio-cultural layers was mainly education. Since the regime change the new resource of the state is religion, more concretely the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Is the spiritual power of the Romanian Orthodox Church really in a process of recruitment or rather it is an artificial and – thanks to the Romanian State – centrally supported ideological and economical positioning?
The members of the Capa Grand Prize Hungary jury in 2019:
–Katalin Spengler, President of the jury, Art collector, professional journalist, editor
–Arnis Balčus, Photographer, Editor-in-chief of FK Magazine, Director of Riga Photomonth
–Emma Bowkett, Director of Photography, FT Weekend Magazine
–Katharina Mouratidi, Artistic Director of f³ – freiraum für fotografie
–Bas Vroege, founder and director of Paradox
The jury appreciated the work of András Hajdú D., fellowship-winner of the Capa Grand Prize Hungary 2019 as well.
Ildi Hermann, the other fellow-winner of the Capa Grand Prize Hungary 2019 died in January 2019 with tragic suddenness. Her death is a great loss for the Hungarian photographer society.
The Capa Grand Prize Hungary 2019 exhibition is on view until November 04 (free admission):