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The Artists’ Colony of Lăzarea, which has been operating in the heart of Transylvania for 50 years and received the Hungarian Heritage Award, has become an internationally recognized phenomenon. In the mid-1970s, during the Romanian communist dictatorship, the first artists’ camps were organized based on the traditions of the Nagybánya (Baia Mare) School. Accommodation and creation were provided for in a Franciscan monastery near a noble castle belonging to the Lázár family, alongside a late Gothic chapel from the 15th century. Initially, the artists' colony was strictly censored both ethnically and ideologically, primarily hosting Hungarian and Romanian professional artists from Romania. Despite these constraints, the colony fostered a culture characterized by dialog and tolerance. Over time, it carefully preserved its traditions while also striving to belong to the artistic mainstream. This goal was made possible by the structural changes of the late 1990s, when István Erős and Zsolt Siklodi took over leadership. Under their guidance, the colony reinterpreted the spirit of Baia Mare and broadened its horizons by focusing on local values. At the KorkéP artists’ colonies, the range of artistic genres expanded, and artworks began to emerge that explored the relationship between nature and art, as well as site-specific works. This shift placed the emphasis on the creative process and the journey leading to creation, greatly enhancing the role of documentation. This period also saw the establishment of international relations.
The survival of the artist colony for five decades is a remarkable achievement, especially considering that it has endured the darkest years of the Romanian communist dictatorship, the tumultuous period of regime change, and the early years of democracy, which often overlooked artistic and cultural concerns. The colony’s 50-year history demonstrates that with a well-developed concept, significant intellectual hubs and creative strategies can thrive even in locations far from major art centers. The site-specific artworks created within the context of the natural and rural environment reveal new layers of meaning and provide valid local responses to global issues. Lăzarea stands as a living testament to how the theoretical model of center and periphery has now shifted; the hierarchical relationship between the center and the margins seems to be disappearing.
In celebration of the anniversary, a series of exhibitions commenced in 2024, starting in Lăzarea and subsequently moving to Miercurea Ciuc. As the highlight of this event series, a spring exhibition at the Kunsthalle in 2025 will showcase a thoughtfully curated selection that focuses on the genius loci (the local spirit) while being thematically and genre-wise diverse. The exhibition aims to convey the universal values of the artist colony through the concept of “the Lăzarea quality,” The continuous growth of international relations is crucial, and this is illustrated by the Lăzarea network graph created by Albert-László Barabási and Csaba Both, which will also be featured in the exhibition. Over the past 50 years of the colony's existence, a total of 976 creators have participated, and 64 of them will be highlighted at the Kunsthalle.
ERŐS István, FAZAKAS Réka