Memento Park

Today, Patricia, Hannah and I made the long trek out to Memento Park, on the outskirts of Buda. You have to take the metro, catch a bus to the bus station, then catch another bus that gets you to the park.  Takes about 30 minutes to get there, but it was totally worth it!

The park is home to many of the old Communist propaganda monuments, statues and plaques that were placed in various public spaces in Hungary, many in Budapest.  Rather than destroying them once the Commies got the fuck out and Hungary was free (about 1989 - 1993), the new government commissioned the park as a place where the memory of the regime and it's bullshit would never be forgotten.  And the art is stunning - bronze, marble, metal, stone in a very open and informal and yet beautiful environment.  It's not stuffy like a gallery - I felt that I could really engage with the sculpture in a different than if it were indoors or in some public square.  We had a blast posing like Communists in front of the statues (dorky, I know, but totally fun!).  The old favorites like Lenin, Stalin and Bela Kuhn are all over the place, plus statues of hard-working communist men in various states of military or social service - all exhibiting strength, endurance and loyalty to the party.  Of course!  We found very few representations of women in the park.  About 5 in the whole place - and one was a goddess and the others were little girls.  Only one adult female, and you'd hardly notice her, as she is flanked by dozens of men in the huge metal sculpture where she resides.  So, maybe our little funny shots are more of political/feminist comment than we even imagined...

The park also has actual-size replicas of the boots of the 6 meter statue of Stalin that was dragged through Budapest and destroyed during the 1956 Revolution.  

Going to the park was really good for me, because after yesterday's emotional rollercoaster, I needed something outside of myself and to take my mind off of the heavy things.  I woke up today and started to cry again.  I dragged myself to breakfast, ate a little bit, then went back up to my room and cried some more.  Then I laid down and slept another 2 hours.  But when I awoke (looking like a puffy, red faced and swollen rendition of myself) I took a shower and we headed out.  I really enjoy the company of all my fellow Residency mates and I love that we share many of our experiences together and have all become fast friends.  

So, now after going to the park, and shooting about 200 photos, I might use some of these for my project as well.  There's a few I'm really happy with in terms of composition, color and angle and I think a few shots of the old regime will fit well with the project's themes.  

Tomorrow we head to the "gypsy" flea market, but if I don't score some frames there, I'm gonna have to go the Ikea route, much as I find that unpleasant.  But time is ticking and I have to produce some work for this show, and I just don't feel that cutting a video of my footage is appropriate at this time.  I'm too close to it and I need some space from what I've collected to figure out how to arrange the pieces.  I also have to write narration of the story, which will just me cry a hundred times more than I already have...and right now isn't the time for tears.  Right now, I have to work and get my shit together for the Residency show.  

But, here's some pics from the park, and shot of the flowers my cousin Agoston gave me.