Promoting friendship through photographs

Celebrating Memorial Day of the 1848 Revolution, the embassy of Hungary organised an exhibition of photographs, Thursday evening. The event was held at the Hungarian embassy and attended by friends and colleagues of the ambassador of Hungary, István Szabó and spouse Emília Szabó, who were the cordial hosts of the evening.

It was a pleasant spring evening, perfect for being outdoors -- though a canopy covered the lawn just in case it rained -- to enjoy the weather and the photographs which were on display. These had been placed down the middle of the lawn, back to back, with one side showcasing photographs of the Hungarian photographer, Gergely Szatmara and the other displaying those of Pakistani, Zulfiqar Ali.

The photographs were in black and white and showcased similar looking landscapes of both countries; water sources to highlight the importance of this life sustaining compound, with some of the Hungarian photographs also reflecting the simple life of the nomads in the Northern Areas where many of the pictures were taken.

Welcoming his guests, ambassador Szabó explained that Hungary has three National Days; this particular one marked the war of independence against the Austrian-Habsburg rule and March 15th has become a symbol of freedom, liberty and protest against oppression.

When the idea for the exhibition came up, he said, they decided to hold it on this day – it had the dual purpose of celebrating the day as well as bringing Pakistan and Hungary closer together by presenting the rich culture of both countries through photographs.

The two photographers visited each other’s country for a few days, travelling around and taking hundreds of photographs, of which ten showcasing people and landscapes were selected from each country.

“It is a great honour for us that the President of Hungary, Janos Ader was kind enough to write the foreword for our book,” he said. “The Book is a gift from us to you. Please take a copy before you leave.” He concluded by thanking the cultural department of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Budapest Water Works and the Oil and Gas company MOL for their support.

Zulfikar Ali said he was grateful that ambassador Szabó had decided to have an exhibition of photographs which were a neglected part of the dynamic art scene of Pakistan. Adding that it had been a great experience to travel around Hungary, he recommended that Pakistanis make a trip to see for themselves the beautiful landscapes and experience the sights and sounds of the country.

Emilia Szabó then read out the message of President Janos Ader, after which refreshments were served and guests stayed on to enjoy Hungarian hospitality. The beautifully bound, hardcover book is titled ‘Reflection of Reality,’ with two sections. ‘Flow’ by Gergely Szatmara which includes coloured photographs as well and ‘water is life is love is water,’ by Zulfiqar Ali with only black and white pictures. A good one to have on your coffee table!