Memento

I examined the importance of the past alongside the crucial role of work and its impact on people. I was particularly interested in what the past means to people, for example, how does it impact the present? and how does it reflect in the buildings life in a greater sense?

My photo series initiates a period of tragedy and hardships my family and I have been going through. My analysis on the role of work and connected memories were concluded, however, it also considers a much broader societal scheme through factory workers and industrial buildings. 

I choose the centre of my collection to be the 200 acres industrial complex of Csepel Művek that counts as one of Budapest’s largest brownfield sites to date. It has had prominent status throughout history. In the first half of the 20th century, it was a strategically important factory complex. During World War I, it was the second-largest defence plant of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The Csepel Művek had also been one of the symbols of the socialist industry. In its best years, it employed over 40000 people. Following the Democratic Transformation, most industrial buildings in Hungary have been radically transformed and – as part of this process -, more and more so-called brownfield areas formed throughout the country. Most of these are relative to the heavy industry.

According to Ferber-Grimsky, the definition of the brownfield area is: “A brownfield site is an area that carries signs of its former use, abandoned or under-utilised with real or hidden environmental issues.”. Brownfield areas take approximately 85 square kilometres in Budapest. At Csepel Művek, the currently utilised buildings have – in many cases -, retained their original functions, in contrast to new ones that have been built. Companies that occupy the sites now tend to use the original buildings. It is like a city within a city where time stands still.

My goal is to lead the focus through my photo collection to a societal issue and phenomenon that relates to the past and its lasting impact. Revisiting these memories, we may get closer to achieving a higher level of understanding. This is where the name choice “Memento” originates, as its meaning is: a sign that reminds us of important things. Perhaps this is interpretable in a metaphorical sense, and of course, the building itself carries this sign physically. I would also like to mention that I used a program that allowed me to project multiple photographs simultaneously, using only one projector.