Edited by Patrick Urwyler, this publication is the first comprehensive presentation of Géza Perneczky’s conceptual photography, the artist realized between 1970–75 as a dissident in Germany.

The experiences of this period and Perneczky’s self-conception as an artist and art historian characterize these early works. In his introductory essay the art historian David Fehér aptly describes Perneczky as a “critic of art” and “artist of critique,” his conceptual practice correspondingly as “The Art of Reflection”.

Important part of this publication is Perneczky’s 1983 essay “How Can There Be Avant-garde If We Don’t Have One – and Vice Versa” – now for the first time available in English. In this essay Perneczky describes and contextualizes all artworks within art history, his practice as an artist and his early years in Cologne. The book further contains a documentation of the past exhibition at Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center in Budapest 2019.

The publication is published and distributed by Verlag für moderne Kunst.

Géza Perneczky is a protagonist of Hungarian conceptual art and part of the Hungarian Neo-Avant-Garde. In 1970 the artist, art historian, art critic and author emigrated to Cologne, where he lives and works until today.

Patrick Urwyler
Art Historian, Editor and Studio Manager of Géza Perneczky

Géza Perneczky’s exhibition titled Mirrors Géza Perneczky’s conceptual photography from the 1970s was on view between October 17 and December 08, 2019 at Capa Center.