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MANÉGE

With over 120 years of history, Budapest Circus has given place to 125 national and international shows through its 15 500 performances witnessed by twenty-five million visitors. Once considered modern, by today, unfortunately, the building complex has become quite ragged. The Budapest Circus stands as Central Europe’s one and only stationary circus building and awaits audience all year round. Entering the building, we feel like we have stepped back into the past and time has stopped. We might suppose that many bitter and disenchanted people work here as part of a somewhat forgotten world. However, we are wrong. Amidst the old walls, there is continuous and hard work going on with generations growing up and devoting themselves completely to provide the best entertainment for their highly esteemed audience.

In his series, Róbert László Bácsi presents a world within our world. He records the life of a community in which professional knowledge is passed on from generation to generation and everyday routine changes from little to nothing over time. This world is most significantly defined by the glamorous performance of the night and the preparations for it. Here, the apparent co-dependence in each act is a force that is present in other theaters of life as well. Bácsi approaches these sentiments with such fine empathy that brings even the previously reluctant ones closer to the world of circus.

Gabriella Csizek

Róbert László BÁCSI
Budapest, 1978,
PICTORIAL COLLECTIVE,
robertbacsi@gmail.com

Studies:
1997 - 1999: 6. Industrial Polytechnic Institute - photography
1993 - 1997: Óbuda-Békásmegyer Secondary School

Professional activity:
2004 - 2009: Hölgyvilág - Photojournalist, vice photo editor
2009 -: Crossroad - Photojournalist, vice photo editor
2005 - 2006: Városképek – Cultural and society magazine of Szentendre - Photojournalist, photo editor
1999 - 2004: Max Photo Lab black and white developer, Magyar Hírlap – photo column (internship)

Awards:
2012: NKA Photography Grant
2011: Loffice Portfolio Review - prize
2009 - 2011: József Pécsi Fine Art Photography Grant
2010: NPPA BOP 2010 Still Photo Winners Enterprise Picture Story (smaller markets) – 2nd prize
2009: Axelspringer Competition – Photojournalist of the Year award
2009: Photo District News – Travel Portrait category prize
2009: Hungarian Press Photo Competition, Portrayal of society - documentary photography (stories) – 2nd prize
2008: Príma Primisszima Junior Príma Prize
2008: Axelspringer Competition – Photojournalist of the Year award
2007: Hungarian Press Photo Competition - André Kertész Grand Prize, Best documentary photography with a focus on people
2007:  Hungarian Press Photo Competition Portrait series – 1st prize
2007:  Hungarian Press Photo Competition - Munkácsy Márton Special Prize for the best collection
2007: Axelspringer Competition – Special prize
2006: Axelspringer Competition – 1st and special prize
2006: Hungarian Press Photo Competition, Art, stories – 3rd prize
2005: Axelspringer Competition – 1st and 3rd prize
2000: City of Szentendre Competition – 3rd prize
2000: Competition of the Local Government of Minorities – special prize
1998: 32nd National Photo Competition of Pécs – 1st prize

Exhibitions:
2011: Hungarian House of Photography in Mai Mano House – Karabah exhibition
2009: Photos from the Himalaya,BIG galleria, Szentendre
2006: Gasworks, House of Future, Budapest
2005: Cityscapes, Szentendre
2003: Healers, Budapest Municipality
2002: Sziget, Budapest, Örökmozgó Cinema
2000: Exhibition of the Szentendre Competition, Szentendre
2000: Zsáka (individual exhibition), Szentendre