HARP Artist Residency
In a spacious estate somewhere in the middle of Hungarian countryside I spent a two-week Horse and Art Research Program (HARP) in a good company of horses and under the mentorship of a very harmonious couple; Beáta Vezsely, a visual artist and researcher, and Márton Szmrecsányi, horse archer and trainer didn’t only open their home to a colorful group of artist, but also passed their knowledge of an ancient Hun philosophy, (horse) archery, leadership and balance, and nevertheless gave the space to inspiration and artistic exploration of a motif of the horse and Centaurus. Artists coming from Switzerland, Slovenia, Hungary, Sweden, USA, India and Australia, sharing their interest in horses, spent their days in an authentic Hun atmosphere. Sleeping in the yurts, eating meals together at the long table and having the contact with horses were all parts of an everyday routine. While learning about natural horsemanship and archery we enriched our experience with philosophical and artistic debates and creative work at the print shop. The final exhibition offered an overview of our different artistic approaches and spiced up the event with a performative work, where another mentor of ours, Arabelle, took part next to the residency leader.