Is it a spectacle, a scientific illustration, a children’s toy or a therapeutic tool? Originally conceived as a sophisticated, painterly light show at the interface of art and entertainment, dioramas have been a favourite visual aid in natural history museums since the early 20th century. This form of presentation, combining painting techniques, scenic solutions and optical illusion, is intended to illustrate a scientific or anthropological result or theory to the public in a delimited box space, creating the illusion of reality, as an immersive installation. The diorama appears in all artistic forms, yet it is a rarely discussed concept.
The exhibition is comprehensible and even entertaining for the lay audience, and at the same time it explores the genre of diorama and its role in art history from a professional point of view, and draws attention to our often unconscious psychological processes that are brought to the fore through dioramas. In addition to physical works, virtual, digital and video dioramas will be on display.
This is the first exhibition of its kind in Hungary to present the field as a fine art genre on this scale, with artists from Hungary, the USA, England, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Slovakia, and Trinidad, making the Ludwig Museum a pioneer in the artistic-psychological-philosophical presentation of the genre.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a digital publication.
Curators: Jan ELANTKOWSKI, Zsuzska PETRÓ
Concept: Zsuzska PETRÓ
EXHIBITING ARTISTS
ALBERT Ádám | BABOS Zsili Bertalan | BP. SZABÓ György | Alexandra CROUWERS | Mark DION | Nathalie DJURBERG & Hans BERG | Daniel ERNST | Janie GEISER | GOMBOS Andrea | Eva GONGGRIJP | GWIZDALA Dáriusz | ICKO Dávid | KARÁCSONYI László | Tomasz KULKA | OVÉ PICTURES (Veronika OBERTOVÁ & Michaela ČOPÍKOVÁ) | PISTA HORROR | Curtis Talwst SANTIAGO | Wieland SCHÖNFELDER | Tracey SNELLING | SZABÓ Eszter | SZAUDER Dávid | SZÖLLŐSI Géza | TRANKER Kata | UJHÁZI Péter
Download the exhibition booklet HERE.
Download the full exhibition catalogue HERE.
This exhibition of the Liszt Fest is jointly presented by Müpa Budapest and Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art.
Related contents
Virtual tour: Smaller Worlds. Diorama in Contemporary Art
Discover the exhibition from the comfort of your home!
The exhibition is comprehensible and even entertaining for the lay audience, and at the same time it explores the genre of diorama and its role in art history from a professional point of view
Video for the Smaller Worlds. Diorama in Contemporary Art exhibition
The works presented take on layers of almost mystical connotations. They awake a childlike wonder in us, allowing a glimpse into another dimension, be it science-fictional, scary, or simply an expression of our subconscious. In the video the curators and the artists speak about the exhibition.
Visites guidées en français: Des mondes plus petits. Diorama d'art contemporain 11. December, 2022, 18:00–19:00
Né de l'amour de l'art et du divertissement, le diorama est un outil de présentation populaire depuis le début du 20e siècle, mais aujourd'hui souvent critiqué, dans les musées d'histoire naturelle .
Visites guidées en français: Des mondes plus petits. Diorama d'art contemporain 11. December, 2022, 17:00–18:00
Né de l'amour de l'art et du divertissement, le diorama est un outil de présentation populaire depuis le début du 20e siècle, mais aujourd'hui souvent critiqué, dans les musées d'histoire naturelle .
Guided tour in Hungarian in the Smaller Worlds exhibition 13. November, 2022, 16:00–17:00
The exhibition is comprehensible and even entertaining for the lay audience, and at the same time it explores the genre of diorama and its role in art history from a professional point of view, and draws attention to our often unconscious psychological processes that are brought to the fore through dioramas.
Guided tour in English in the Smaller Worlds exhibition 30. October, 2022, 17:00–18:00
The exhibition is comprehensible and even entertaining for the lay audience, and at the same time it explores the genre of diorama and its role in art history from a professional point of view, and draws attention to our often unconscious psychological processes that are brought to the fore through dioramas.
Exhibition opening: Smaller Worlds. Diorama in Contemporary Art 13. October, 2022, 18:00–20:00
The exhibition is comprehensible and even entertaining for the lay audience, and at the same time it explores the genre of diorama and its role in art history from a professional point of view, and draws attention to our often unconscious psychological processes that are brought to the fore through dioramas. In addition to physical works, virtual, digital and video dioramas will be on display.
