Intellectual innovation and intersections – The Moholy-Nagy Award 2023 is coming up

Date: 2023.11.14
What is the link between Albert László Barabási, Krisztina Passuth, Dieter Rahms, and Pál Frenák? Beyond their outstanding cultural contribution, they are connected by the Moholy-Nagy Award, of which they are the holders along with 14 of their peers. Since 2006, the award is presented each year to an individual whose outstanding artistic, research, or creative activity is founded on the same values as those of the university and its eponym.

In 2006, the university adopted the name of László Moholy-Nagy, and on the initiative of former rector Gábor Kopek, the Moholy-Nagy Award was established. The recognition serves to communicate the still-relevant thoughts and ideals of Moholy-Nagy, one of the leading lights of the Bauhaus movement, to figures in Hungarian and international art and academic scene, setting his ethos as a model for future generations to follow.

The award recipients and the university community are connected through creativity, integrative thinking, intellectual innovation, and responsibility. So who are they after all?

Moholy-Nagy Award winners include archaeologist and art historian Hattula Moholy-Nagy, art philosopher Hannes Böhringer, art historian Krisztina Passuth, curator Karole P. B. Vail, and art historian Olivér Botár. They are also linked by their contribution to raising awareness of the significance of Moholy-Nagy’s oeuvre, and improving understanding of its influence on contemporary culture. This helped preserve the legacy of the university’s eponym, and in turn, build MOME’s intellectual base.

Laureates include several groundbreaking professors previously teaching at MOME’s predecessor, including architect and interior designer István Gergely, music historian Imre Földes, architects Zsófia Csomay and Péter Reimholz, product designers Stefan Lengyel and Ernő Rubik. Throughout their decades-long teaching career they have nurtured generations of designers, enacted education reforms, and made significant contributions to transcending the boundaries of art fields and gaining acceptance for interdisciplinary thinking, as demonstrated by physicist and network researcher Albert-László Barabási, choreographer Pál Frenák, graphic designer Kálmán Tibor, poet and literary translator Ádám Nádasdy, trombonist László Gőz, and director Balázs Kovalik. Their critical and responsible thinking is exemplary for the MOME community.

In 2023, another artist of similar calibre will receive the award – stay tuned for further updates. 

More news

How can traditional folk art, its associated ancient craft techniques, and materials be reimagined through the lens of contemporary design? This is the central question explored by the Future Traditions programme, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and has become a defining component of the Fashion and Textile Design MA programme at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME). In 2024, the programme took place as part of the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Season, with MOME students collaborating for a semester with Istanbul's Marmara University. The results of this collaboration will be showcased in an exhibition at the Hungarian Cultural Centre in Istanbul.

The CheckINN Revitaliser Idea Competition is back again to reward ideas about how abandoned or out-of-use areas and buildings could be given a new purpose and turned into tourist destinations.

The Immersive Beats: 360-degree music video joint hackathon explores the intersections of technology, art, and theoretical research. Organised by MOME’s Media Design programme and Korea's Chung-Ang University, this six-day event brings together Hungarian and South Korean students to fuse music, artificial intelligence, and immersive film technologies. Using AI tools, participants will create unique 360° music videos, blending creativity and cutting-edge technology. Beyond being a creative experiment, this project marks a significant milestone in fostering long-term international collaboration.
Member of the European
Network of
Innovative
Higher Education Institutions
9 Zugligeti St,
Budapest, 1121