March 27, 2013, Year 3, Issue 31

the CEU Weekly

An independent newspaper by CEU students and alumni

Student Tip # 75

Probably all of us will receive plenty of chocolate bunnies for Easter. Did you

know that the first edible Easter bunnies were made in Germany in the early

1800s?

Hungarian Expression of the Week

Phrase: Kellemes húsvéti ünnepeket!

Translation: Happy Easter Holiday!

FREE LUNCH!!! PAGE 8

Look inside for: Recent News From Hungary PAGE 2

An Innovative Artistic Project in Afghanistan PAGE 3

Spring Ball photo report PAGES 4-5

New Film by Agnieszka Holland PAGES 5

Upcoming Cultural Events in Budapest PAGES 5

Street Art in Helsinki PAGE 6

A particular café to discover in 7th District PAGE 7

Puzzle and FREE LUNCH voucher PAGE 8

Masquerade at Midnight:

CEU parties on a boat!

Read about one of the biggest events at CEU and the big-gest one taking place on the Dan-ube for sure. by Julia Michalsky photos by Natalia Mileszyk

PAGES 4-5

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the CEU Weekly

HUNGARY NEWS March 27, 2013, Year 3, Issue 31

A Soviet Grenade Can Still Intervene in Local Conflicts of Budapest

Sirály Club (Király utca 50.) has become one of the meeting points of student protestors involved in the recent series of HaHa demonstrations, especially in the occupation of Fidesz’ Party Center by students. The club is rented by Marom Cultural Association that organizes alternative cultural events, among others offers modern ways of celebrating traditional Jewish holidays due to its mission involving the spread of Jewish culture, support of civilian initiatives and fight against discrimination of socially disadvantaged people. Marom did not by chance choose Sirály that is in the heart of the old Jewish district. And Sirály is not by chance a meeting point for young people (Jews and non Jews) who oppose the current political leadership. On March 22 the owner of Sirály, the capital’s Lord Mayor’s Office suddenly declared to break the contract with Marom and demanded the association’s members to empty the club. According to the justification Marom conducted commercial activity in Sirály without permission. According to Marom they collected only donations in the club, therefore the association did not empty the club. On the contrary, 80 activists remained in Sirály and resisted the security guards who were sent there to force them leave in the morning of March 23. The police claimed not to be able to intervene since both the young activists and the security guards are legitimately there.

And here comes the Soviet WW II grenade in the story which was found in the

afternoon of March 23 in a house of Király utca, therefore all the people from

the neighboring buildings, including Sirály were evacuated. Meanwhile also the Jewish Community intervened in the Sirály-

affair by asking the lord mayor to allow Marom to continue its activity in Sirály at least until April 3, the end of Pesach in

this year, since a plenty of events connected to Pesach are supposed to take place in Sirály this week.

The Football Match Between Romania and Hungary - Less Violence than Expected

Supporters were not allowed to attend the Hungarian-Romanian qualifying football match of March 22 due to FIFA’s punishment for racist agitation on the occasion of an Israeli-Hungarian match in August 2012 (as The CEU Weekly published a notice on the subject: http://ceuweekly.blogspot.hu/2013/02/what-is-going-on-in-hungary-february.html). The Hungarian Football Association (MLSZ) organized a public screening where 4000 people participated. For the same evening a radical rightist protestation was organized (supported by Jobbik). During the evening some demonstrators threw beer bottles on policemen, some people were arrested, but due to the stand-off result of the match anger did not get to a higher level among the radical rightist demonstrators, fortunately.

Although the weather does not seem to follow the calendar, in cultural sense spring has really begun in Budapest. The 13th Budapest Spring Festival takes place between March 22 and April 7. The festival offers a large scale of artistic programs: exhibitions, dance performances, theatre, and concerts thanks to the contribution of plenty of artists invited from abroad. Also Hungarian artists participate of course. This year among others the Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra, Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists, the Compañía Carmen Cortés, and the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra are the star guests of the festival. The Budapest Spring Festival is traditionally expected and enjoyed by both local audience and tourists who come to Hungary only for this cultural event. So being here as a CEU student, one should use this chance to attend some of these prestigious events! (For details see: http://www.btf.hu/btf2013/)

Agnes Kelemen, Hungary, Nationalism Studies Department

Here Comes the Budapest Spring Festival

THE WORLD

That solidarity with people affect-ed by war and deprivation is a good thing is beyond doubt. What is however the possibility of privi-leged artists from affluent back-grounds to contribute to peace and happiness of those at the radically other end of the stick? For the US-based conceptual artist Yazmany Arboleda, there is no doubt whether art can change bring “peace” and “instant happi-ness”, at least temporarily, to the inhabitants of Afghanistan. His project ”We Believe in Balloons” just announced that 10.000 pink balloons soon is to be distributed on the street of Kabul on an unex-pected Saturday morning to brighten up the lives of those living in the harsh plight of war, oppression, and material deprivation. [Saturday is the first day of the Afghani working week. – The Author’s note.] This artistic intervention marks the fourth one in the series ti-tled Monday Morning series, that according to the artist has managed to “creat(e) a living sculpture(s) that brought about joy, wonderment and a new sense of awareness to peo-ple.”What kind of new awareness the balloons brought to the people in earlier phases of the project remains some-what unclear to me. Most certainly my position as an exter-nal spectator obscures my understanding of the deeper sym-bolism of giving out and receiving colourful balloons in the streets for free. But can balloons really bring instant joy and a new sense of awareness about the world they live in? If so, which kind of revelations may pink balloons bring to the people of Kabul? In Nairobi, balloons were given out during a period of great insecurity, as the Kenyan government were launching heavy insurgency operations into Somalia and two retaliatory gre-nade attacks just had been committed of in the city. This made the balloon spectacle, aimed to cheer up the locals, even more important to stage, claimed the artist: "I believe strongly that countering grenades with balloons could send an important message to the Nairobi community and the world at large…I find that this work is even more significant now that Kenya's social climate has been damp-ened by the al-Shabaab threats and the recent attacks." Nice thought. However, the way that people interpret the event may differ starkly from the artists’ intentions. Indeed,

in Nairobi some people “thought we were having a job fair” Arbo-leda admits. Somehow, I get a sense that this “new sense of awareness”, joy and hope during a period of intensified levels of violence and threats of violence may be quiet limited outside of the artist’s mind and collegial circle. But now the balloon blessing is fi-nally to reach Kabul. The balloons are to be funded by individual donors’ online payments. Then they are to be distributed by more than 100 volunteers in Kabul. Each donor can only contribute with a one dollar donation, signify-ing each donors/purchasers direct

link to a local Afghani. “(E)ach supporter will only be able to give a single dollar” signifiying “ a direct link to one balloon - in an effort to generate equal ownership of the overall manifestation” and deliver a moment of ”simple happiness” hails the artist. No prerequisites apply for becoming a balloon owner other than a commitment to hold on to the balloon until you have reached work. Now, how could we talk of “equal ownership” when the artist already has set the rules of the game? Over and over international as well as domestic interven-tions, no matter the intentions, manage to impose new forms of conditionalities on locals in an underdog position in every aspect of the latter’s life. This time the direction on what to do and how to feel comes in the form of art. Art can be friv-olous. Art can be rebellious and empower through ridicule, joy and real solidarity. Art can cross boundaries and undo the same. If I were a local in Kabul, perhaps I’d like a bal-loon to break the daily grind on my way to work. Still, I’d be outraged how someone might think that this would imply some kind of equal ownership in the process or that this would make up for all the suffering caused both by domestic and international forces. Twisting it around, if I was a privileged artist from a safe spot on the earth, with the time and resource to stage art on a mass-scale in the true spirit of “equal ownership”, I’d make sure that all involved parties would have a say throughout the working process and the final implementation.

M. M.

Pink Balloons to Bring Peace, Love and Happiness to Afghanistan? “Nobody can be Uncheered with a Balloon!” (Winnie the Pooh)

March 27, 2013, Year 3, Issue 31

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the CEU Weekly

the CEU Weekly

CEU COMMUNITY March 27, 2013, Year 3, Issue 31

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Masquerade at Midnight a.k.a. “OMG, CEU Spring Ball!!!”

By now, even the worst hangover is cured, people have found their lost cell phones, jackets and shoes and only the same freezing weather is there to remind us of last weekend’s CEU Spring Ball. While some might have worried that that formal wear would equal a formal atmosphere, they were glad to eventually join the good party mood on the boat. Students seemed to enjoy themselves drinking, chatting, dancing, kissing, posing for photographs and relishing the beautiful view of

Budapest by night.

One of my favorite moments happened on the dance floor where I saw two of CEU’s security guards showing of their moon walk and other silly dance moves during

Jackson’s “Bill Jean”.

Thanks to all the volunteers who invested their time and energy into organizing this event. Everybody else we wish an enjoyable end of the winter semester 2013 and we hope you find the time to relax and recharge your

batteries for at least a few days before getting back into the

swing of things.

P.S.: My only disappointment - I was really waiting for the DJ to

play “I’m on a Boat”.

Julia Michalsky

History Department

...what other students say:

“At least for me, it was jus perfect. The band was fantastic and the venue was beautiful, the weather didin't stop us from going outside and enjoying the amazing view. It was the ideal (and probably the only) occasion to dress up and party along with the CEU community before we all go away. No school talk, no worries, just fun and

great vibe.”

the CEU Weekly

CEU COMMUNITY March 27, 2013, Year 3, Issue 31

I had the chance to watch Agnieszka Holland’s new film before the Hungarian premier on the occasion of an exclusive screening organized by the Polish Institute in Budapest. The film confronts one of the hardest topics of Eastern-European history, namely that of the indifference of civil populations towards the fate of Jews during World War II. The protagonist is one of the above 6000 Poles who belong to the “Righteous among the Nations” (those Gentiles who saved Jewish lives during the Holocaust). At the same time most Gentile characters of the narrative either collaborate with the Nazi occupiers or remain simply indifferent towards the persecution committed by them.

The story – based on true events as usual for Holocaust films – might have been a basis for a very exciting film since it tells the story not of a good kind-hearted man but that of a thief who starts to help Jews in escaping only for money, but getting more and more involved in their fate in the end saves them even when they cannot pay his favor anymore. However, in vain resembles the narrative of the escape in the channel-system of Lviv another important Polish film – Kanal by Andrzej Wajda – with plenty of Biblical and liturgical allusions both to Christianity and Judaism, Agnieszka Holland does not succeed in achieving the same impact as Wajda. The wandering of a small group of persecuted Jews in a channel for 14 months provides an excellent basis for a drama. However one cannot remain involved in dramatic tension for more than 3 hours, so In Darkness demonstrates the typical case when “less is more”. Nonetheless to see this new confrontation with the history of Nazi occupation is probably a must for anyone interested in Polish-Jewish history. The trailer of In Darkness available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb2TyPfxaQU

Agnes Kelemen, Hungary

Nationalism Studies Department

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“The ball was quite amazing. Ini-tially I expected it to be difficult being before finals week and all but it turned out to be the perfect break from studying. The ambi-ance was lovely, the welcoming staff was very pleasant, and of course everyone was seemed to have a blast. I am really glad I

went.”

"It was atmosphere of fun, the kind of fun you experience on undergrad parties: drinks, wild dances, occasional laughter, cam-

era flashes... All the best memories of Spring Ball left me won-

dering what our graduation party could be like?!"

Photos by: Natalia Mileszyk

In Darkness – New Film by Agnieszka Holland

―Leading the Dead‖ – The World of János Major Exhibition from the works of János Major Neoavantgarde graphic and conceptual artist. Monday-Friday 10-18 h, Saturday 10-13 h, until April 13. Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Barcsay Hall 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út /street 69–71. Free Entrance.

Depeche Mode Concert May 21, 9 pm. Puskás Ferenc Stadion Istvánmezei út 3-5. 9900 HUF

Budapest Easter Market It is an essential part of the Budapest Spring Festival! Until April 14 Vörösmarty tér

Do Not Miss in Budapest

the the CEU Weekly ART

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March 27, 2013, Year 3, Issue 31

When Art Became a Crime in Helsinki

Graffiti, posters, stickers or almost any other form of street art are not allowed in a city space. Potential painters are being followed and in some cases badly beaten by a certain security company. A man is arrested for taking a photograph of a train which had graffiti on it. The Academic Bookstore is asked not to sell graffiti magazines and the Museum of Contemporary Art is criticized for having graffiti exhibition. At worst graffiti painters are put to jail for over a year and they have to pay a compensation (over 100 000 euros) to the government. This is what happened in Helsinki between 1998 and 2008 (and what is in some areas still happening) when the Public Works Department launched a project called Stop töhryille (Stop clutter, vandalism). The project meant zero tolerance for street art in Helsinki. City space became an ideological battlefield where two opposite forces clashed: city officials and their ideology about a safe and clean city and grass roots artists and their vision about a lively and multicultural city space. Every empty wall meant one more victory for the Public Works Department and people generally turned a blind eye to FPS Security´s violent methods. How did it happen? Signs were already there in the early 1990s when public opinion started to

change towards street art. When in the 1980s the graffiti community in Helsinki was communal and relatively small, in the 1990s graffiti had become a more common phenomenon. Painters also started to become more anarchistic. While the first generation of painters had very high moral codes and private property was left alone, these principles were broken when the number of graffiti painters grew in the early 1990s. At the same time, magazines started to publish critical articles about the phenomenon. But the most dramatic change happened in 1998 when the Stop töhryille project was launched. And this changed the landscape of Helsinki for years. The Reasons behind the Stop töhryille project were ideological. City officials used the broken windows theory (by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling) in their decision making process. According to Wilson and Kelling, a broken window or graffiti in one part of the town will eventually lead to more serious crimes. Following this logic, graffiti must be absent from a city space. In fact, Helsinki adopted a “24 hour policy” which meant that every sticker, poster or graffiti was removed within 24 hours. In consequence, the city would be safer. For graffiti painters, street artists and regular citizens it became anything but such. I myself remember that tense atmosphere in Helsinki even though it took me a while to understand the whole picture. Through my brother, who is an artist, I eventually came to know people who were personally affected by this zero tolerance politics in Helsinki. Their stories were frightening. People were being followed and they were arrested just because they looked like potential painters. Many young men were beaten by guards who in the end controlled security tapes so you couldn’t sue them. Policemen tried to get a painter´s girlfriend to talk by threatening that if she didn’t cooperate she couldn’t get in to any college. She was in jail for three days. Graffiti painters, if they were being caught, were sentenced to pay a large compensation and in some cases they had to serve jail time. Even though this was happening in Helsinki, the general public didn’t know about it. Only few critical voices were raised by certain journalists and politicians. One of them was a young left-wing politician

Paavo Arhinmäki. It took till 2004 when the Stop töhryille project finally became public knowledge when the so-called “let me love case” happened. Five young men were arrested for three days, police searched their homes and they were prosecuted for putting stickers all over Helsinki which stated “let me love”. This caused public outrage and a new kind of discussion started about city space and government control. Demonstrations were held. Slowly the general opinion started to turn in favor of the street artist.

In 2008 Stop töhryille project came to an end but it didn’t stop “zero tolerance for graffiti” in Helsinki. It took two more years until the city council finally made the decision that abolished zero tolerance. Paavo Arhinmäki was very active about this matter. In 2010 a legal graffiti wall was opened in Suvilahti, Helsinki. The place is very popular among street artist and actually now the area has become lively grass root art center where for example free concerts and workshops are also held. In 2011 Paavo Arhinmäki became Minister for Culture and Sport. As such, he has continued to be a spokesperson for graffiti painters. He has opened many graffiti exhibitions and demanded more legal places for graffiti painting.

In a last few years Helsinki has finally

started to recover for all the harm the Stop

töhryille project caused. The legal graffiti

wall in Suvilahti has been a promising start.

Nowadays the attitude towards street

artists is much more positive. However, at

the same time harsh methods against

graffiti painters are still used. Young

people are still convicted to pay

compensations and serve time in jail. FPS

Security is now part of a bigger company

but they are still responsible for practical

work in the streets. The Public Works

Department has started a new project

called Siisti stadi (Clean city). According to

its spokesman, Siisti stadi tries to make

Helsinki cleaner and safer.

Vilma Hakala, Finland

Gender Studies Department

the the CEU Weekly CEU COMMUNITY

March 27, 2013, Year 3, Issue 31

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CEU Alumna Shares her Entrepreneurial Enthusiasm The Surprise Egg of District Seven

When you think of district seven, you picture ruin pubs, tourists, and the Dohány Street Synagogue. Yet, these are only the things you see at first sight. In one of Király Utca’s side-streets, you can find the PRINTA. One of my favourite cafés in Budapest, it features excellent coffee you can drink while enjoying the great collection of prints, fashion and design objects. Out of curiosity, I wanted to get to know the people behind the PRINTA and was surprised to find one member to be a CEU alumna. From Brazil to Budapest Although Claudia Martins had already established a successful international career in photography in Brazil and the USA, she decided to move to Budapest in 2005 to live together with her future husband. She continued working as a photographer and met the former head of the CEU Gender Studies department at one of the exhibitions she participated in. After seeing Claudia’s photos, Professor Allaine Cerwonka recommended her to enroll in the Gender Studies MA program to expose herself to the theoretical debates Claudia was already expressing in her art. Speaking of the two years at CEU, Claudia is full of enthusiasm both for the things she learned and the experiences she had as she became pregnant with her son and met her future Serbian PRINTA partner Zita Majaros, a graphic designer. A gallery, a screen-print workshop, a design shop and a café Both wanted to start something new and create a unique place of their own in Budapest. Zita infected Claudia with her enthusiasm for screen printing and both flung themselves into the various preparations for their new store. The café which was not part of their original plan was added during the

renovation process. Today, Claudia and Zita are constantly on the lookout when it comes to new artists they invite to exhibit their works in the small gallery space. Naturally, they are also often approached with proposals. For the future, Claudia and Zita are working on a couple of projects next to PRINTA. The idea is to establish a branch abroad and start collaborative street art projects with Swiss and Brazilian artists as well as other art studios. PRINTA’s Pest Finally, when I ask her ask her to point out one of her favorite pieces in the store, Claudia shows me the “PRINTA’s Pest”, a graphically beautiful map of the 7th district. The idea for the map sprung from the staff’s observation that many of the people that showed up at PRINTA asked for tips on similar alternative hang-outs in Pest. Thus, the PRINTA team collected recommendations for sights to see, spots to hang and bars to drink at and eventually produced the foldable map that fits in your purse or back pocket. A lengthy process, as Claudia relates, because most suggestions were hotly debated as the “next thing” or already “passé”. Hence, if you are in the mood for a quick break from the CEU hassle or on the lookout for a great Budapest gift, I recommend a walk to the PRINTA. Location: Rumbach Sebestyén u. 10, 1075 Budapest (15 min walk from CEU) Mo - Fri: 11 am to 7 pm; Sat: 12 am to 6 pm www.printa.hu Current Exhibition: Norbert Nagy “Stories of a Horse Rider” “City graphic designer meets fresh air. Series of limited edition silkscreen prints on the theme of horses, nature, countryside romantics and wine inspired by a special atmosphere of Etyek wine area.” (PRINTA, 2013)

Julia Michalsky, Germany

History Department

Apropos 7th District—Do Not Miss the Chance to Visit the

Beautiful 100 years old (and even older) buildings of the

Downtown!

You can do so for free on April 6th and 7th in the

framework of an open air event. For details check:

www.budapest100.hu

he Weethe CEU Weekly CARTOON by ERIKSSON

March 27, 2013, Year 3, Issue 31

About the CEU Weekly This is a student-alumni initiative that seeks to provide CEU with a regularly issued newspaper. The CEU Weekly is a vehicle of ex-pression for the diversity of perspectives and viewpoints that integrate CEU’s open society: free and respectful public debate is our aim. We offer a place in which current events and student reflections can be voiced. Plurality, respect and freedom of speech are our guiding principles.

Editor in Chief: Florin Zubaşcu Managing Editor: Justina Poškevičiūtė

Editorial Council: Ágnes Kelemen, Olha Pushchak, Maryna Shevtsova, Sergio Rejado Albaina, Rodrigo Avila B., Erik

Kotlárik, Alexander Minbaev, Razi Zaheer, Thor Morante ceuweekly.blogspot.com

YOUR CORNER

Want to get published?

Send your article at ceuweekly@ceu.hu

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Welcome to Train your brain! The task is to solve the crossword and make a word out of the letters in grey squares. The person who will first send the correct answer on ceuweekly@ceu.hu will get a FREE LUNCH voucher at the Dzsem Cafe!!!

Cartoon by Eriksson