Tibor Várnagy (Budapest, 25 April 1957)Tibor Várnagy's detailed biography can be found at http://www.ligetgaleria.c3.hu/Varnagy.html and
http://www.ligetgaleria.c3.hu/Pingjao/curatorcv.html (last accessed: 28 October 2019) is known as a Hungarian fine artist, gallery director, curator and critic.
Career Source:Based on the article written by János Szoboszlai, https://artportal.hu/lexikon-muvesz/varnagy-tibor-1123/ last accessed: 28 October 2019
From the 1980s he has been a representative of the so-called alternative artistic endeavors. He also plays an active role in the experimental application of photography as fine art. In addition to this he draws, occasionally paints and creates collages or objects for different installations. Várnagy is a founding member of the Substitute Thirstershttps://artportal.hu/lexikon-szocikk/hejettes-szomlyazok/ last accessed: 28 October 2019 artist group and participated in their exhibitions between 1984 and 1990. From 1991 to 1994 he worked with Ágnes Eperjesi, and later organized occasional exhibitions with Gyula Várnai, Zoltán Ádám, Dezső Tandori, Andrea Hajagos. His activity has been characterized by experimentation and, since the 1990s, social sensitivity. He edited the (quasi) periodical Manapság between 2001 and 2004. An alternative version of this, Manamana was published on the occasion of the Service exhibition at Műcsarnok (Kunsthalle) Budapest. The critical, activist publication and project was edited and organised in association with Miklós Erhardt. Several artists took part in it (Dominik Hislop, Andreas Fogarasi, Róza El Hassan, Toma Sík etc. as well as numerous artworks were given to the publication by Gábor Bakos, Tibor Horváth, etc.). Várnagy has had a photoblog since 2006 and a video blog since 2009. As a critic and art writer, he deals with contemporary art and regularly publishes in the periodical Balkon and other art magazines.
Várnagy has been the director of the Liget Gallery in Budapest since its foundation in 1983.Small non-profit gallery operating since 1983. It is maintained by the Zugló Cultural Center (Zugló Cserepes Non Profit Cultural Ltd.). Since its founding, it has exhibited nearly 500 exhibitions and other events, promotions, performances, concerts, screenings, talks in Budapest and in foreign and other Hungarian cities. In the 1980s, the gallery first began to show foreign artists, mainly from Central Europe, in the framework of independent exhibitions (2nd Portfolio of Eastern European Artists - curated by John P. Jacob, 1986. Heinz Cibulka, Sibylle Hofter, Milan Knížák, Łódż Kaliska, Hermann Nitsch, etc.) and exchange numerous exhibitions with foreign partners. In the first half of the 1990s, Liget’s most important undertaking was the presentation of the Contemporary Hungarian Epigone Exhibitions (Liget Gallery, Budapest 1992; KX Kampnagel Fabrik, Hamburg 1993; Liget Gallery and Tűzoltó Street, Budapest, 1994). Director: Tibor Várnagy. For further information see: Tibor Várnagy (ed.): Liget Gallery 1983-1990 (catalog, 14th district Cultural House, n. d.); (Liget Gallery 1990/1995 (catalog, Cserepesház, 1996). Based on the article written by Géza Boros, https://artportal.hu/lexikon-intezmeny/liget-galeria/ (last accessed: 28 October 2019 As a gallery director, curator and cultural organizer, he implements an exhibition program focusing on progressive experimental genres (performance, experimental photography, intermedia, new wave). It features innovative, interdisciplinary exhibitions and events other than the mainstream, including politically and socially radical activist works and projects. It is decisive both for his own curatorial activities and for the Liget Gallery as well that he has established direct collaborations and exhibition exchanges with foreign partners since the mid-1980s. This process was initiated by the II. Portfolio of Eastern European Artists project (curated by John P. Jacob, 1986) which has established long-term cooperation with the American curator in the form of exhibitions not only in Hungary and the US but also in Germany and China. There has been a continuous working relationship with the Mała Gallery in Warsaw, the Fotogalerie Wien and the Projektförderunk Bildende Kunst led by Monika Wucher and Christoph Rauch in Hamburg, as well as occasional collaborations with many artists, curators and institutions.
Awards 1991–1994: Derkovits Art Scholarship; 1987: Studio Award (Substitute Thirsters); 1988: KISZ Award (Substitute Thirsters); Locus Signi – award of Laza Lapok (Loose Pages) for Liget Gallery, as a consistent representative of progressive and free thinking; 1993: Award of the Ministry of Culture and Education (with Ágnes Eperjesi); 1996: Award of Szép Magyar Könyv (Dezső Tandori: A semmi kéz, volume cover); 2000: For the cultural education of the district: Zugló / XIV. District Municipality (as director of the Liget Gallery); 2008: Award of the Municipality of Budapest at the Rig-Rigatar / Közelkép (Close-up) exhibition (Manamana project); 2010: Katalizátor-díj (Catalyst Award), Engine Category; 2017: Parallel Culture Award - Mediawave Festival
Selected solo exhibitions Source:Based on http://www.ligetgaleria.c3.hu/Varnagy.html and http://www.ligetgaleria.c3.hu/Pingjao/curatorcv.html (last accessed: 28 October 2019)
1985
H.Sz.2. Bercsényi Klub, Budapest
1986
A Helyettes Szomlyazók tudatfelszabadító hadműveletei/The Consciousness Liberation Operations of Substitute Thirsters - Komáromi Kisgaléria, Komárom
1987
A Hejettes Szomlyazók faliújságkiállítása David Thomas koncertjén (Exhibition of Substitute Thirsters at David Thomas’ concert), Pest Megyei Művelődési Központ (Pest County Cultural Centre), Szentendre
Fluxus, Hejettes Szomlyazók (Fluxus, Substitute Thirsters), GAMF, Kecskemét
1988
A váza (The Vase), Lágymányos Közösségi Ház (Lágymányos Community Centre), Budapest
1989
Strand (Hejettes Szomlyazók/Beach. Substitute Thirsters) - FMK (Young Artists' Club), Budapest
Frakciók (Hejettes Szomlyazók/Fractions, Substitute Thirsters), Stúdió Galéria
Stellvertretende Durstende, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin
Three Hungarian Photographers - István Halas, Zsuzsanna Ujj, Tibor Várnagy, Houston Center for Photography, Houston
Tibor Várnagy, Jennifer Sloan - Photographic Resource Center, Boston
Közös újabb képek (Hejettes Szomlyazók/ Common New Pictures, Substitute Thirsters), Szakmunkás Galéria, Miskolc
Spragnieni zastepcy (Hejettes Szomlyazók/ Substitute Thirsters), Galeria Wschodnia, Łódź
1990
Fotokoktél, Bercsényi Klub, Budapest
A Hejettes Szomlyazók szenvedélyes élete (Hejettes Szomlyazók)/The Passionate Life of Substitute Thirsters (Substitute Thirsters), István Király Múzeum, Székesfehérvár
Egy deci vörös (kétszer)/One glass of red wine (twice), FMK (Young Artists' Club), Budapest
Élni veszélyes/Living is dangerous (with Viktor Lois), Y Galéria, Uitz Terem, Dunaújváros
1992
Przeplatane zdjecia Tavate, Mała Galeria, Warsaw
Magvas kiállítás (with Ágnes Eperjesi), Stúdió Galéria, Budapest
Der Kern einer Austellung (with Ágnes Eperjesi), Künstlerhaus, Hamburg
1993
Con spirito (with Andreas Oldörp and Ágnes Eperjesi), Tűzoltó utca 72., Budapest
Padlópéldázatok II./Floor Parables II. - Tanulmányok a krétakörhöz /Studies for the Chulk Circle, Budapesti Tanítóképző Főiskola /Teacher Training College, Vizuális Tanszék/Visual Department (in the frames of SCCA Polifónia public art project), Budapest
1994
Padlópéldázatok III./Floor Parables III. - Békekoncert/Peace Concert (with Ágnes Eperjesi), Gallery by Night, Stúdió Galéria, Budapest
Sült képek és Mandala (with Ágnes Eperjesi) / Baked Pictures and Mandala, Szegedi Ifjúsági Ház, Szeged
1995
Előjelek és Kommentár/Omens and Commentary (with Ágnes Eperjesi), Goethe Institute, Budapest
1996
Örök Talaj - Padlópéldázatok IV./Eternal Soil - Floor Parables IV. (with Dezső Tandori), Gallery by Night, Stúdió Galéria, Budapest
1997
Lassan Változik/It is Slowly Changing (with Gyula Várnai), Bartók 32 Galéria, Budapest
A szegénység nem törvénytelen: EXISTENTIA /Poor is Not Illegal: EXISTENTIA, Bolt Galéria, Budapest
Slides, video-dokumente/Ausstellungen, Konzepte und Künstler aus Budapeste, Westwerk, Hamburg
1998
TAK, TAK, Mała Galeria, Warsaw
IGEN, IGEN: AMNÉZIA! Liget Galéria, Budapest
1999
Tiszta háború/faliújságprojekt/Clean War, Notice Board Exhibition, Liget Galéria, Budapest
2000
Ádám Zoltán és Várnagy Tibor kiállítása /Exhibition of Zoltán Ádám and Tibor Várnagy, Budapest Galéria Kiállítóterme /Budapest Gallery Exhibition Hall, Budapest
2002
Múlt Század /The Last Century, KKMK, Budapest
MANAfEST (with Miklós Erdardt) M-Mobil, Cipo Galeria, Műcsarnok (Kunsthalle), Budapest
2009
A part alatt (with Dezső Tandori and Andrea Hajagos), 2B Galéria, Budapest
2010
A part alatt (with Dezső Tandori and Andrea Hajagos), 2B Galéria, Budapest
2016
Tavate képei: Eperjesi Ágnes és Várnagy Tibor 1991–92-ben készült közös művei /Tavate's Pictures: Joint works of Ágnes Eperjesi and Tibor Várnagy between 1991-92, Inda Galéria, Budapest
2017
Rügyfakadás / A Hejettes Szomlyazók korai korszaka (1984–1987) /Budburst. The Early Period of Substitute Thirsters (1984–1987), Új Budapest Galéria /New Budapest Gallery
Hejettes Szomlyazók: A kopár szík sarja (1987–1992)/Substitute Thirsters: Sparse Alkali Flats (1987–1992), Ludwig Múzeum /Ludwig Museum, Budapest
2018
1989, Neon Galéria, Budapest
2019
Tévé, Tűz, Malevics/TV, Fire, Malevich, acb Attachment, Budapest
Selected group exhibitions 1984
Helyettes hullám /Substitute Wave, Kisörspuszta
East European Exhibition, No Se No Gallery, New York
1986
Röviden - a Cseresorozat eseménysorozata /In Short- Events of Exchange Series, Galéria 11, Budapest
Láthatatlan művészet/Invisible Art, Kavics utca, Budapest
II. Nemzetközi Portfolio /2nd International Portfolio, Liget Galéria, Budapest
Stúdió '86, Budapesti Történeti Múzeum (Budapest History Museum), Budapest
1987
Out of East-Europe: Private Photography, List Visual Arts Center,
Grey Art Gallery
Salina Art Center, Salina, Kansas
Art Space, San Francisco, California
Painted Bride Art Center
Baxter Gallery, Portland
A mosónők korán aktok, Vajda Lajos Stúdió, Szentendre
...Meglepetés...olvasóink részére/...Surprise...for our readers, István Király Múzeum, Székesfehérvár
Deutsch - Ungarischer Künstlertreff, Kulturzentrum Hardtberg, Bonn
Stúdió'87, Ernst Múzeum
Węgierska Sztuka Młodych, Galeria Studio, Warsaw
1988
Új szerzemények/New Acquisitions, István Király Múzeum, Székesfehérvár
Węgierska Sztuka Młodych, Galeria PSEP, Wrocław
Junge Künstler der DDR und Ungarn, Neue Berliner Galerie, Berlin
Junge Ungarische Fotografen, Galerie Treptow, Berlin
Zeitgenössische Ungarische Fotografie, Fotogalerie Wien, Vienna
Dadaista képzőművészet a kortárs magyar művészetben, ELTE (Eötvös Lorand University), Budapest
VI. Esztergomi Fotóbiennálé/6th Photobiennial Esztergom, Rondella Galéria, Esztergom
Stúdió '88, Ernst Múzeum, Budapest
Zeitgenössische Fotografie aus Ungarn, Fotohof, Salzburg
1989
Fiatal képzőművészek az NDK-ból és Magyarországról/Young Artists from the GDR and Hungary, Ernst Múzeum, Budapest
Kék Acél/Blue Steel, Budapest Galéria Lajos utcai kiállítóterme/Budapest Gallery Exhibition Space at Lajos Street, Budapest
Szimmetria és aszimmetria/Symmetry and Asymmetry, Magyar Nemzeti Galéria (Hungarian National Gallery), Budapest
The Metamorphic Medium: New Photography from Hungary, Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin
Más-kép, Ernst Múzeum, Budapest
Foto-modell, Szombathelyi Képtár, Szombathely
Stúdió '89, Ernst Múzeum, Budapest
Kék Iron, Duna Galéria, Budapest
1990
Kék-Vörös/Blue-Red, Uitz Terem, Dunaújváros
Inspiration : Sommer Atelier, Messe Gelende, Hannover
Hidden Story, Franklin Furnace, New York
A Negyedik - a FFS kiállítása/The Fourth-exhibition of the Young Photographers' Studio, Ernst Múzeum, Budapest