The space in which we exist, whatever its nature, is defined as a natural habitat in which a kind of living thing likes to live or grow. Just as a series of ecological conditions, influences and interactions determine the nature of the space, so each organism becomes an integral part of the ecosystem, and thus both sustainer and subject. Yet it is man who is most capable of undermining the vital unity we call the circle of life, alienating himself from it infinitely. 

The Safe Space explores the possibilities of creating a safe space in the midst of the micro-level and global anomalies and crises we are experiencing today, whether it is the existential crises experienced in the microcosm of the individual, or the tensions that are affecting societies globally, economic crises, wars, or climate threats. Turning our micro-environment into a protective space can become a necessary practice in our lives, a practice which, if developed, will enable us to adapt effectively to and harmonise with our environment.

The group exhibition in The Space gallery space will explore the notion of safe space along this idea, reflecting on the social, existential and ecological aspects of a safe environment as subjectively interpreted by the invited artists.

FÜRJESI Csaba (1969) is a Salzburg-based artist who interprets the everyday meanings of the safe public realm through the depiction of figurative figures and dreamlike scenes in his large oil on canvas paintings. His paintings blend the pictorial traditions of realism with surrealist visions. The figures, standing in a somewhat unsettling, dark environment, are often lost in the depths of space, sometimes even merging with it, but Fürjesi uses the classical motif of the shelter and the bubble to depict the intimate space of longing and shelter.

HAJGATÓ Terézia (1990), in his series Lost Mimicry, he presents the mimicry effect in human relationships in a decorative, metaphysical visual world, where the artist, operating with the chair as an individual, moves from the prototype of the human being to the contemplation of the subject. Using the mimicry effect found in the animal world as a tool, the series presents the protective quality of camouflage that humans are forced to use in a context, situation or condition where they need passive self-defence. The mimicry series attempts to make the viewer think about the situations in life in which it is recommended or necessary to use mimicry.

HORVÁTH LÓCZI Judit (1981) is an installation of a dark blue drawer that commemorates a personal experience of loving but contradictory family ties. The golden branch, standing exposed in the middle, is held and protected by the drawer that once belonged to the grandmother, a gesture that symbolises the duality of family relationships that hold and limit. Lóczi Horváth's lyrical work reflects on the challenges facing individuals and families in today's world, while also questioning the responsibility of society, its protective role and its damaging effects. 

KOLESZÁR Stella (1992) depicts the divine, symbols of fertility and abundance that can be discovered by observing nature through the art historical tradition of floral illustration. Of particular interest is the question of how to deal with our disconnected relationship with nature as a result of modernisation and digitalisation. This loss of connection leads us to seek new ways of creating safety and well-being in the modern world, in much the same way that safe space seeks to ensure mental and emotional well-being in a supportive community environment. 

SALLAY Dániel (1985), his sculptures in maroque and rounded terracotta reliefs are based on the principle of form. The undulating surface separates the inner content of the objects from the outside world like a membrane, a physical boundary that is sometimes clear, sometimes not, and sometimes implies an ambivalent relationship with its surroundings. Sallay's works are created in a meditative state of automatism, which gives space to the self-recreational process of intuitive creation. 

SZENTELEKI Gábor (1978) His series Home asks questions about the relationship between the family nest and safe space. In his schematic, clock-shaped canvases, warm tones suggest the intimate nature of home, while the blood vessels lurking beneath the surface of the painting give the impression of leather, which, given its context, can also give a sinister or grotesque interpretation to the works on display. Within the Home series, the images make simple statements about the characters that make up the family, their relationships and interconnections.

The exhibition was supported by the National Cultural Fund of Hungary.