Rácz Rebeka’s exhibition is a parade of body parts: as if, slipping into the mind of a curious onlooker, we attempted to name the multitude of eyes, noses, ears, mouths, and hands perceived in the surrounding environment. In the head of an observer momentarily dislodged from the rhythm of reality, what is seen lives on as a grotesque fantasy.

We live in an intensely body-centred world where, due to the constant presence of virtuality, the physical nature of sensing our own bodies often dissolves. Sitting in a café, Rácz’s objects urge us to look up from behind our laptops, to observe, to listen, to return to our physical presence, and to play with the visuality of our surroundings — just as she herself does while shaping her works.

Rácz’s practice loosely connects to the tradition of Surrealism: fantasy gains authority in the representation of the world around us, and the dreamer’s subconscious appears in anthropomorphic form throughout the exhibition. Although the works refrain from conveying explicit messages, the central piece, Chained Eye, draws attention to the underrepresented roles of hearing, touch, taste, and smell within the vision-centred society of the 21st century.

Rácz Rebeka (1990) is a Budapest-based self-taught ceramic artist whose playful works move along the boundary between design and fine art. The starting points of her practice lie in the infinite and accidental possibilities of working with clay, as well as in daily rituals and the questioning of habits. The unpredictability of motherhood and the constantly shifting conditions of everyday life provide an inexhaustible source of inspiration for her. Her creations range from everyday functional objects through design and interior pieces to small- and large-scale sculptures. Hallmarks of her work include a naïve, humorous attitude, a wide spectrum of colours, and an experimental, exploratory approach to glazing.

Rebeka Lili Tóth, curator

Photographs by Zsuzsi Simon