KASZ+ 2026 art program connects two cities

Industrial art comes to life this year in both Szeged and Kecskemét towns in Hungary: the KASZ+ 2026 creative camps, organized by the K-ARTS Art Foundation, connect young artistic talents and the international contemporary art scene with the industrial environment of the KÉSZ Group.

The inspirational theme of this year’s creative camp is “Noktalgia,” which reflects on the gradual disappearance of the starry sky, light pollution, and the changes in the modern world. The organizers’ goal is for the artists to present new perspectives to the audience through their works, while further strengthening the connection between industry and culture.

What makes this international art camp, which has a history spanning more than twenty years, unique is that invited artists can work in an active industrial setting, in the immediate vicinity of steel structure manufacturing and metalworking plants. The raw materials used for the artworks include industrial byproducts, scrap metal, and dismantled structural elements, so the program draws attention not only to creativity but also to the importance of sustainability and recycling.

The artists of KASZ+ 2026:

• Csilla Berkes, sculptor • Anthony Vasquez (USA/Hungary), visual artist • Mónika Üveges, visual artist • Sándor Szász, painter • Kati Katona, new media artist • Gyula Majoros, visual artist • Tamás Kis, sculptor • Klaudia Januško, visual artist.

From June 8 to 11, the industrial art workshop titled “Across the Bridge – Parallel Art Histories” was held in Szeged at the shipbuilding and repair facility of MAHART Tiszayacht Kft. which served as part of the pilot site for digital prototype within the DECORATOR project. The program brought together fine and applied arts students and their art teachers from the István Tömörkény Art High School, who drew inspiration for their works from the industrial environment, the banks of the Tisza River, and the world of shipbuilding.

The event in Szeged serves as a kind of artistic bridge between young creators and experienced artists, while also serving as a prelude to KASZ+ 2026 – the 23rd Kecskemét Steel Sculpture and Fine Arts Symposium, which will take place from June 12–26 at the KÉSZ Industrial and Innovation Park.