Exhibitions

Molnár István Gábor: The Testament of Hope – photo portraits

Molnár István Gábor’s photo portraits

Opening: December 15, Thursday 17.00

Opening speech: Junghaus Tímea and Molnár István Gábor

"Difficult times lie ahead," - said Martin Luther King on April 3, 1968 gathered in front of the stage in Memphis Clayborn Temple crowd. And he continued: ".. But it really does not matter because I have been to mountaintops and I see that with you, as a community, we get to the promised land (of racial equality)"

The exhibition entitled The Testament of Hope presents the portrait gallery, which Molnár István Gábor photographer made since the early 1990s about Roma creators, photographers, artists and public personalities. The protagonists of the photos significantly contributed to the Hungarian music and dance culture, art and literature. The series show us Molnár István Gábor’s excellent photographic sensitivity who waited for us in those moments that the most authentically and respectfully immortalize the personalities uniqueness, the fate of the uniqueness of the greatness and talent majesty and the beauty of elegance. The juxtaposition of portraits and to shaping the portrait gallery has always important. Align the two generation of stars of the Hungarian Roma intelligentsia shows the revelation about the knowledge of the evolution of the Roma movement and recognition. Celebrating success and pride are essential to believe that as a community we can reach to the Racial Equality referred to Martin Luther King speech – the promised land.

Molnár István Gábor is the chairman of the Eötvös Company and the Újpest Roma Minority Self-Government. He comes from a gypsy musician family, his maternal grandfather Rácz István was a cellist, his mother Rácz Gyöngyi (1944-2013) engineer, economist, teacher. With his colleagues they founded the Újpest Roma Community House to solve local problems of the Roma through a complex, ongoing programs. They operated afternoon school with individuals and groups subject development, sports and social counseling. In their opinion, the most talented and most experienced teachers have to deal with disadvantaged children. For adults they organize cultural and educational events. The first Gypsy Collection of Local History located in this house, which aims to raise awareness and acknowledged of the history of the Roma settlements, cultural - community values. Molnár István Gábor holds its most important task of the local Roma self-governments that to establish a remarkable-looking public space, where can start the common thinking, helping each other, sharing options. In his opinion, we are lagging behind the huge Roma language teaching, in the presentation of national history and culture, which is not only the responsibility of the local minority governments, but also a duty. His conviction that for the Roma stands the important values  and interests is needed to make a common stand which is essential for the creation of good examples.