Sopron has opened wide its gates again to welcome art. It is inviting and
awaiting all those interested to the events of the Festive Week including
the Biennial of Medals, a show that has reached maturity. The meanings of
medal and coin – in Hungarian érem and érme – starting
out from the same root have diverged by now. Languages incorporate subtle
and profound philosophical contents; for example, in the Hungarian language érem/érme
derive from the ancient word ér/érték ‘value’.
It designated money first before the emergence of érem ‘medal’ as
a piece of autonomous artistic creation. The development was logical, for
both carry value and represent power.
A medal is the embodiment of creativity and the power of the artistic vision
as well as the vehicle of the ideal value of beauty. That is why it could
turn into a sophisticated and successful genre. This value was recognized
by our local patriots and connoisseurs thirty-two years ago when they staged
the first medal biennale. The art-loving public took the initiative in their
favour quickly, and thus the medal biennial has become integrated in the
art life of the country and the city of Sopron as an outstanding event in its cultural programmes.
It is not only the public and the city that patronize the medal exhibitions
but also the artists and the sponsors whose role has grown immensely. They
have offered prizes and ensure the regular muster with their spiritual and
financial support. They deserve all gratitude for their unselfish help. We
also owe a debt of gratitude to the Hungarian Institute for Culture and Art,
to the experts, the providers of the awards, the faithful public and not
least to the exhibiting artists.
I wish success and unslackening creativity to all the exhibiting artists
at the 17th National Biennial of the Medal. Let the beauty and message of
the exhibits reach the soul, inspire delight, mental refreshment and cathartic
experience.
Dr. Tamás Fodor
Mayor