ARTIST STATEMENT

My work is about preserving. I record and document personally relevant issues, objects, and places. This approach is in line with diary-writing, and it grew out organically from a travel, during my time as an artist-in-residence in Glasgow. Being away for the first time and being on my own, it became very important for me to document my experiences, which were in a way mirroring my independency.

I wanted to find the simplest and most direct way of preserving. I also wanted my work to reflect my personal affection to the documented objects. From this motivation, two techniques emerged, which are both deeply rooted in the tradition of printmaking, but in a way that also completely negates this tradition. The first approach was direct printing by using frottage technique; I basically applied paint on my object, which then became the matrix, and by printing it on paper, I was able to save the traces of people around me, the grass in the park, or a piece of stone. I compiled these prints in an artist book, the Glasgow Diary. Since then, I’ve been using this technique almost in all of my work.

The other approach that I first elaborated for my diploma work is based on woodcut technique. Large-scale woodcuts allow me to preserve and transmit the experience and monumentality of bigger objects and spaces. I arrange these artworks as one installation, where I place the print and the corresponding matrix in the same space. Showing both reflects my approach to printmaking. Although woodcutting is a reproductive technique, I strictly create unique prints, exhibiting the matrix and the print of the artwork as one unit. Treating both the matrix and the print as unique and original objects reflects the problematic of copy and original, which is inherent in any printmaking process. The self-imposed restriction of making one single print of a matrix is also a statement, which is a contrast to the nature of printmaking.

Contact

gabor.koos86@gmail.com
+36 - 30-321-1436

Represented by:
Inda Gallery
H 1061 Budapest, Király u. 34 II/4
tel.: +36 1 413 1960
https://indagaleria.hu/en


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Curriculum vitae

EDUCATION

  • 2010 - 2010
    Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, United Kingdom, bc in Painting and Printmaking

  • 2007 - 2012
    Hungarian University of Fine Art (MKE), Budapest, Hungary, Master of Fine Art in Printmaking


AWARDS & GRANTS

2022 - Smohay Prize, Székesfehérvár, Hungary
2021 - European Prize MTG, International Print Triennial in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
2020 - Prize of The Ministry of Human Capacities / XXVIII. Miskolc Graphic Triennal, Miskolc, Hungary
2015 - Gyula Derkotivs Art Scholarship, MANK, Budapest, Hungary
2014 - Graphic of the year, The Foundation for Hungarian Graphic Art, Budapest, Hungary
2014 - Prize of The Foundation for Hungarian Graphic Art / XXVI. Miskolc Graphic Triennal, The Foundation for Hungarian Graphic Art, Miskolc, Hungary
2014 - Gyula Derkotivs Art Scholarship, MANK, Budapest, Hungary
2013 - Gyula Derkotivs Art Scholarship, MANK, Budapest, Hungary
2012 - Barcsay Application Prize, MKE, Budapest, Hungary
2009 - "Flower Petals Bird Wings" 1st place, MKE, Budapest, Hungary
2009 - Erasmus scholaprship, MKE
2009 - Bertalan Székely Scholarship, MKE, Budapest, Hungary

RESIDENCIES

2019 - 4D Gallery, Galanata, Slovakia
2018 - Bruseum, Neue Galerie Graz, Graz, Austria
2015 - Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg , Stuttgart, Germany
2015 - Meetfactory, Prague, Czech Republic
2014 - Áno Lino, Banská S T ANICA, Banská Stiavnica, Slovakia
2014 - residency.ch, PROGR, Bern, Switzerland
2010 - Erasmus, Glasgow School of Art (GSA), Glasgow, United Kingdom

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023 - Gazing Into Darkness, Szent István Király Múzeum, Székesfehérvár, Hungary
2022 - USA Diary, Miskolci Galéria, Miskolc, Hungary
2021 - Souvenir, MANK Gallery, Szentendre, Hungary
2020 - USA Diary, Inda Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2019 - Bijinga, 4D Gallery, Galanta, Slovakia.
2018 - The Drawing Experience / Birgit Knoechl - Gàbor Koòs, Galerie Kunst und Handel, Vienna, Austria.
2018 - Văii Morilor, Chimera-Project Gallery, Budapest, Hungary.
2017 - Unfolded Territories, Chimera-Project Gallery, Budapest, Hungary.
2015 - 20 year old forest, Kostka Gallery, Meetfactory, Prague, Czech Republic.
2014 - Budapest Diary, SODA Gallery, Bratislava, Slovakia.
2013 - Budapest Diary, Napóleon Ház, Győr, Hungary.
2010 - Heores and Mares, CD Fű kultúrpince, Budapest, Hungary.
2009 - Man + Woman, Füleki Városi Múzeum, Filakovo, Slovakia.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023

  • Suttogó Föld / Whispering Land, Jerusalem Biennale, Museum of Ethnography, Budapest, Hungary

  • Emlékezetes Ábránd / Memorable Fancy, AQB Project Space, Budapest, Hungary

  • Első félidő, INDA Galéria, Budapest

  • Lokart festival, Zsolnay negyed, Pécs, Hungary

  • Lián, Barcsay Terem, Hungarian University of Fine Art, Budapest, Hungary

  • Visszatérés, Vaszary Képtár, Kaposvár, Hungary

2022

  • Incarnations of space, Barcsay terem, Hungarian University of Fine Art, Budapest, Hungary

  • Black Is The Loneliest Color, Kunstverein Eisenstadt, Eisenstadt, Austria


2021

  • Esterházy Art Award Short List 2021, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary

  • SEFO 2021 Triennial of Contemporary Central European Art - Universum, Muzeum Umeni Olomouc, Olomouc, CZ

  • MTG 2021 International Print Triennial in Krakow - Dissonant Futures, Nowohuckie Centrum Kultury, Krakow, PL

2019

  • Art Market Budapest, Millenáris, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Touch Wood, Museum Moderner Kunst Kärnten (MMKK), Klagenfurt, Austria.

  • NonStopScheiner, www.koier.at, Graz, Austria.

2018

  • Scale, New Budapest Gallery, Budapest, Hungary.

  • If you are manipulated, manipulate back!, Kunstverein Kunsthaus Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.

  • G - Atlas, 4D Gallery, Galanta, Slovakia.

  • The Drawing Obsession, Bruseum, Neue Galerie Graz, Graz, Austria.

2017

  • Esterházy Award 2017, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Pseudo Display, Chimera-Project Gallery, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Westkunst - Ostkunst. A new collection display, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Autism as a metaphor, ICA-D, Dunaújváros, Hungary, ICA-D, Dunaújváros, Hungary.

  • Amygdala, Miskolci Galéria, Miskolc, Miskolci Galéria, Miskolc, Hungary.

  • XXVI. Miskolc Graphic Triennal, Miskolci Galéria, Miskolc, Hungary, Miskolci Galéria, Miskolc, Hungary.

2016

  • Lapbemutató - Und magazin 2. számának bemutatója, 2B Galéria, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Évi rendes (beszámoló), Hetvennyolcas Galéria, Sopron, Hungary.

  • Atelier - Műterem, Székely Bertalan Műterem- és Emlékház, Szada, Hungary.

  • Akkumulátor | Accumulator, Budapest Gallery, Budapest, Hungary.

2015

  • II.st International Biennal of Drawing and Graphic Arts, Eszterházy Palota, Győr, Hungary.

  • Radical Memories, Chimera-Project, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Art Market Budapest, Millenáris, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Imago Mundi, Map of the New Art, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, Italy.

  • The Power of Place, Chimera-Projetc Gallery, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Miskolci Grafikai Triennálék válogatott anyaga, Bánffy Palota, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

  • Derkó2015, Kunsthalle, Budapest, Hungary.

2014

  • Trauma - Tér - Terápia, Klauzál Square, Budapest, Hungary.

  • 1/1/3 "Selfish", Latarka, Budapest, Hungary.

  • 500+1 Ez európai grafika ünnepe, Műterem Galéria, Debrecen, Hungary.

  • Art Placc 2014, Art Placc/Galéria Placc/Chimera-Project, Tihany, Hungary.

  • XXVI. Miskolc Graphic Triennal, Miskolci Galéria, Miskolc, Hungary.

  • The Future is Today, ICA-D, Institute of Contemporary Art - Dunaújváros, Dunaújváros, Hungary.

  • 1/1/2, FUGA, Budapest, Hungary.

  • derkó.pécsi.2014, Kunsthalle, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Enter/ing - New members of FKSE, FKSE, Budapest, Hungary.

2013

  • Art Market Budapest, Millenáris, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Extension, Chimera-Project, Budapest, Hungary.

  • 1/1, Art IX - XI Galéria, Budapest, Hungary.

  • II.st International Biennal of Drawing and Graphic Arts, Eszterházy Palota, Győr, Hungary.

  • Fingerprints, Chimera-Project, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Derkovits Most, Műcsarnok, Budapest, Hungary.

2012

  • Barcsay Application, MKE, Budapest, Hungary.

  • World Day of Architecture, Association of Hungarian Architects, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Friss 2012 Empathy/Manipulation, Kogart Gallery, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Best of Diploma 2012, MKE, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Graphic Open 2012, MKE, Budapest, Hungary.

2011

  • I.st International Biennal of Drawing and Graphic Arts, Győr, Győr, Hungary.

  • XXV. Miskolc Graphic Triennal, Miskloci Galéria, Miskolc, Hungary.

  • Magyarok - Wengry, Jan Matejko Academy Of Fine Art in Krakow, Krakow, Poland.

  • Barcsay Application, MKE, Budapest, Hungary.

2010

  • I.st Szekler's Graphic Biennal, Saint George, Saint George, Romania.

  • 42th International Art Colony Győr, Győr, Győr, Hungary.

  • Before Degree, Nyíregyháza, Nyíregyháza, Hungary.

  • 100+3, Zalaegerszeg, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary.

2009

  • Flower Petals Bird Wings, MKE, Budapest, Hungary.

  • Water and Life, Baja, Baja, Hungary.

  • Barcsay Application, MKE, Budapest, Hungary.

2008

  • Small Graphic Forms, Újpest Géria, Budapest, Hungary.

  • +- 100 year, Mission art gallery, Budapest, Hungary.