OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 38, 22 February 1995
HDFR TO LEAVE THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION OF ROMANIA? Csaba Takacs,
executive president of the Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania,
told an RFE/RL correspondent in Bucharest on 21 February that the HDFR
will quit the Democratic Convention of Romania if the alliance does not
give up its commitment to the "national character" of the Romanian
state. The Constitution defines Romania as a "unitary and national
state" and the HDFR says the definition ignores the existence of
national minorities. On 17 February the DCR leadership demanded the HDFR
explicitly state its respect for the constitution, including the
provision on the state's national character. Tackacs accused the DCR of
long ignoring and failing to support the Hungarian minority's demands,
and said this neglect had its roots in Romanian history. The HDFR
refused to sign the modified protocol of the DCR on 17 February and, if
it does not do so within 30 days, will be considered by the DCR as
having left the alliance. Three other parties, the Party of Civic
Alliance, the Liberal Party '93, and the Romanian Social Democratic
Party, refused to sign the protocol. The PCA and the RSDP wanted the
convention restructured, to distinguish between parties and civic
movements. The Liberal Party '93 objects to having joint electoral lists
in the forthcoming local and general elections. The RSDP decided on 18
February to leave the alliance and protested against what it called "the
dictatorship" of the National Peasant Party-Christian Democratic over
other members. -- Michael Shafir, OMRI, Inc.
[As of 12:00 CET]
Compiled by Pete Baumgartner
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A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.
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Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
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Thursday, 23 February 1995
Volume 2, Issue 39
BUSINESS NEWS
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**HUNGARY'S NEW PRIVATIZATION CHIEF SAYS HE MEANS BUSINESS**
Hungary's candidate for privatization minister, Tamas Suchman,
says he supports free market reform. In an interview
published yesterday in the Hungarian daily newspaper Magyar
Hirlap, Suchman says his office was not created to slow
privatization. He's calling for a unified economic cabinet,
which would be headed by reform-minded Finance Minister
-designate Lajos Bokros. The creation of the post of
privatization minister spurred the resignation of outgoing
Finance Minister Laszlo Bekesi, a strong free-market advocate.
This led to speculation that the government was trying to slow
down market reform.
**PHILIPS REVENUES ELECTRIFYING**
The Dutch company Philips Electronics says its sales in Central
Europe are steadily growing. Yesterday, the company reported
regional sales of $481 million. Philips operates several
joint ventures in Poland and Hungary, producing lights,
batteries and electronics.
SURVEY
------
**ART WORLD OPENS TO CENTRAL EUROPE**
By Charles Poe
If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the same could be said
for modern art. To some it's daring and innovative, to
others, it's not even art. That's the case with the
Germinations 8 exhibit, a biannual, traveling display of works
by young, unknown artists from throughout Europe. Currently,
the exhibit is on display in Warsaw.
The French exhibit entitled "Every Time" could be the most
annoying piece of art at Germinations 8. It's a room full of
blaring telephones, set on a circle of tables, each with its
own phonebook. And just in case you don't get the point, the
walls are covered with black and white photos showing, you
guessed it, people on the telephone. Fortunately, the phone
exhibit is crammed in the far corner of the Zacheta Gallery in
Warsaw, so the rest of Germinations 8 can be viewed in peace
and quiet. The exhibits range from simply strange to
emotionally powerful. In one room, Robert Novak of the Czech
Republic has wooden drawers jutting out of a white wall. In
another, Nikos Charalambides of Greece has constructed a stark
version of Santa Maria Dei Fiori: a dangling, lit-up Virgin
Mary and Child, surrounded by levitating army helmets. There
are also neon beach portraits by German Gerhard Amelang and
delicate, wood and fabric sculptures by Spaniard Belen Moreno.
None of those names are likely to be familiar, but they're not
supposed to be. Germinations 8 began in 1981 as a launch
pad for European artists under the age of 30 and just out of
art school. Although the exhibit used to feature only artists
from the European Union, Barbara Wessel of the Germinations
Europe Foundation says Central and Eastern Europeans are a
welcome addition.
"I think it has been absolutely necessary to open the doors to
Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic because in
these countries art is happening in a way that we can't
ignore. I think for young artists there is a very interesting
situation there now."
Indeed Central Euroopeans have made a dramatic impact in a short
time. Poland only joined the Germinations 8 project three
years ago, but it's already won the prestigious Georges
Boudaille prize twice. This year the honor went to Barbara
Kowalczyk of Poznan, whose work will be shown in Bologna this
year as part of the prize. Getting noticed, after all, is the
most important goal of the exhibit. Magda Kardasz, exhibits
curator of the Zacheta Gallery, says young Polish artists
actually have an easy time getting their work shown within the
country, because there are so many galleries in Poland. But
the Germainations exhibit introduces them to the potentially
lucrative international market.
"It gives them the opportunity to show their works in the main
galleries of Europe, because these shows are organized in
really important places. A lot of art critics and journalists
are invited for the openings."
So far at least, the art critics in Poland have given
Germinations 8 good reviews. But impressive as some of the
works are, others stretch the limits of what a layperson might
call art. Xenia Dieroff of Britain has entered basic photos
of make-up and skin care products. And another Brit, James
Chapman, has enclosed underwear in air-tight glass boxes and
let bacteria eat away the fabric. For one American visitor
who declined to give her name, Germinations 8 was a major
disappointment.
"On the whole I think it looks very amateurish. I don't think
it is in any way on a professional level. It's somewhat
disappointing in that sense. I haven't seen quality
contemporary art."
Others will surely disagree, but those who want to see the
Germinations 8 exhibit better hurry. It will be on display at
the Zacheta Gallery in Warsaw until the end of this week
before heading to Athens.
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A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.
[*] [*] [*] [*] [*][*] [*][*][*]
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[*][*][*] [*][*][*] [*][*] [*][*]
[*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*]
[*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*]
Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
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