Attalai Gábor’s art book is more than a companion to the artist’s recent exhibition, it is a vibrant testament to his rich and conceptual artistic legacy. Published with the support of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture project and Vintage Gallery, this special volume stands out not only for its striking design but also for the profound stories and themes it encapsulates. The album serves as the first comprehensive publication on Attalai’s art, providing an intimate look into his career through separate studies on his textile art, conceptual works, performative photographs, artistic writings, and international collaborations.
A Journey through Red – a symbolic thread
Red is central to Attalai’s work, a motif deeply woven into his artistic identity. This is not merely a stylistic choice but a reflection of deeply personal and historical memories. One of the most poignant stories from Attalai’s life comes from his childhood in the village of Mezőberény in southeastern Hungary.
“I remember, I saw the first “conceptual art” works when I arrived at my grandmother’s place in Mezőberény for a holiday in June 1945. All the walls of the two rooms were covered with writing. The texts had been written on large red paper ribbons, roughly two feet long, in white Cyrillic letters, and they had been put on the walls immediately after the liberation of my grandmother’s house in November 1944. All the writings had been painted on the walls by Soviet soldiers”, Attalai recalls. “When I went to my grandmother’s place for a holiday the following summer in 1946, I remember the writings were still on the walls. I asked her why she had left them on the walls. She did not answer. So I will never know what tied her to these works: joy or fear. At the time, I did not know what those writings meant. But now I know everything about them”.
I remember, I saw the first “conceptual art” works when I arrived at my grandmother’s place in Mezőberény for a holiday in June 1945. All the walls of the two rooms were covered with writing. The texts had been written on large red paper ribbons, roughly two feet long, in white Cyrillic letters, and they had been put on the walls immediately after the liberation of my grandmother’s house in November 1944.
For Attalai, these walls became an early form of conceptual art — a “total installation” of trauma, history, and unresolved emotion. This memory resurfaces in his art, particularly in works where red dominates as a symbolic color of ambiguity, encapsulating both joy and fear. As art historian Dávid Fehér explains in the book’s introduction, Attalai’s use of red and white evokes these childhood experiences while leaving their deeper questions unanswered, transforming them into a universal exploration of human emotion and memory.
The thematic choice of using the color red extends to the art book’s design – creating a visually cohesive experience that mirrors Attalai’s art.
Attalai’s oeuvre is characterized by recurring conceptual themes, among which the color red holds a special place. These works feature a wide variety of objects — and even body parts — painted monochrome red, further emphasizing the symbolic power of the color. This thematic choice is extended into the very fabric of the art book’s design. The large-format album is visually stunning, with its bold red cover and edge painting continuing the color’s symbolism. The book’s production quality is a testament to the thoughtful collaboration between the graphic designer, Ferenc Eln, and the publisher, Bernadett.
The large-format album is visually stunning, with its bold red cover and edge painting continuing the color’s symbolism. The book’s production quality is a testament to the thoughtful collaboration between the graphic designer, Ferenc Eln, and the publisher, Bernadett.
Ferenc Eln, who has worked with PERGRAPHICA® paper before, selected materials that perfectly match the book’s conceptual weight. The cover is crafted from canvas laminated on Eskaboard, lending it a tactile quality, while the interior features PERGRAPHICA® Classic Smooth 150 g/m² paper for the core and PERGRAPHICA® Colours Charismatic Red 160 g/m² for the end sheets. These choices create a visually cohesive experience that mirrors the themes of Attalai’s art.
The art book is bilingual, and presented in both Hungarian and English, making it accessible to a wider audience. This dual-language approach reflects Attalai’s international influence, as his works have been exhibited across the globe and have resonated with the avant-garde art community, to which he has contributed greatly over his long career.
Book Images © Dávid Biró
Exhibition images © Bernadett