Gyula Várnai (1956) studied mathematics, physics, and music, and also worked in a printing house.

After getting the Smohay and the Derkovits fellowships (two significant state fellowships for young and talented Hungarian artists) he got the Munkácsy Award in 2001 (the highest level state award for Hungarian artists).

From the end of the eighties he has permanently been invited for important exhibitions such as New Topics (Kunstverein Nauhausen e.V., Germany),  50 pays 100 artistes (Pont Alexandre, Paris, France), Scottish Fall (Budapest), or Media Model (Kunsthalle, Budapest).

Each comprehensive essay on contemporary Hungarian art gives attention to Várnai’s work which cannot be placed with any current tendency. Articles on his art are regularly published in the leading Hungarian art magazines.

 A video work of the artist will be shown in February 2004 in the Renaissance Society (Chicago, USA) which is one of the most progressive exhibition spaces in the United States. Várnai’s works can be found in the collections of the Ludwig Museum - Museum of Contemporary Art (Budapest), of the ICA - Dunaújváros (Hungary), of the Paks Gallery (Hungary), and in numerous private collections.

Gyula Várnai creates works of art using different media. He makes sculptures in steel, installations based on optical phenomena, acoustic works, photographs, digital prints, short digital animated films, and videos. He often uses ordinary objects of everyday life that he considers active and important actors of human life.

Gábor Andrási writes about Várnai’s works:

„Whether their existence is due to a coincidental, rapid meeting, or a long weighing (probably both methods are present), Varnai’s works show the natural conjunction of things, the almost unhindered transferability of phenomena, concepts, thoughts, and moods into objects. Improvisation, spontaneity, and spare, exact conceptuality get along well together in them as if these meant two possible aspects of the same thing as if it were possible to „ripen together” authentically the objects found who knows where just through this duality. The paradox exists in the fact that this lyric and simultaneously conceptual object art is mysterious and obvious at the same time; it almost shouts for „solutions”, for transformation into words, and yet it still resists this.”

The exhibition is sponsored by:

NKA, NKÖM, Zwack Borház, Frutta Elettronica, Mucsarnok Bistro, Timp Kft., Digit Számítástechnika, Color Photo Digital, Bánki Donát Secondary School, Dunaújváros, Péter Kiss photographer, Dunaújváros