History: what mythical junkyards are made of...

„Valami végleg megváltozik, Something is finally changing,
Összeomlik hangtalanul,   Crash silently,
Ami van és ami nincs,   What is and what is not,
Nem vész el, csak átalakul.”    It is not lost, only transformed
(Európa Kiadó: Ez a város, 1987) - Európa Kiadó, underground rock band (1981-)

The Art

This page is the portfolio of the honorable Kristóf Erdődy created by his friends and fanbase, showing us an exciting life's work steeped in European culture.

Instead of spit & polish policies, the actions depicted here are capturing popular imagination. Each disciplin – whether poetry, painting or graphics – is complementary to all others in Erdődy's art. His serious-minded work ethics are strict yet all results are amusing or philosophically thought provoking. His heritage can be considered tremendous as all expressions are hiding maticulous descriptions. Delicate calculations forming a mozaik of echoes: a cultural fingerprint as lively and encrypted as the artist himself who is using different pseudonyms for each disciplin. He earns nicknames (listed on the end of our essay) and uses artist names such as Mon Feral Abbé (brush name) and George Ivresse (photography). We find other codenames he uses working as a journalist for mymusic.com or during his years as an amateur street fighter where he hit the limits of the legal system (detailed in chapter: The Kick-Ass of Budapest). While gathering knowledge on the underbelly of Budapest he is indulging in artistic genres such as trash, dirty realism, grungie art, ugly-culture and forms he developes himself such as Central European Efemer art®. Including the photography project mentioned in details below, which started as candid portrait photography.
Camera behind the camera.
Emerging artists depicted. Underground venues. Studios. Backstage. >>> Crazy characters. Undocumented venues. Hidden studios. Backstage secrets. Stuff he is after.

Who is this man?

Poetic drive by observation or charismatic deflection? Let's start with him growing up in the tradition of the 1980s - 1990s post punk, goth rock, new wave, minimal scene worth the analogue commemoration. He is a second-wave "punker", getting his lessons on counter culture from anti-establishment first-wave contemporaries as a kid much like we can see in the Kein Bock - 1981 (German Punk Docu). If we watch the following video we understand the attitude even more. One of the comments sais: "No smartphones, no selfies, no duckfaces..." Another sentiment: "All different, all unique ....no clones back then." Add to this band masterpieces of the new wave music genre like Devo, The Talking Heads or The B-52's. Cultural diversity and an intense approach Erdődy has brought with him coming from music and poetry, thus rythm and structure. An unbroken connection to (analogue) rituals AFK and the tribal punk culture of frightening elegance™, see this report: Punk in der DDR. Or additional videos - Punk Rockers in Berlin, 1980's. Archive film 98953 & 1983 Islington Squatter Punk Documentary - to imagine how with a 1,5 decade phase delay to London and Berlin local hc punks were still active out on the by then still shredded streets of Budapest. It's the early 2000s, just before the inkubátorház (startup incubator house) and later on romkocsma (ruin bar) movement. As expected, most social spots except one (Keleti Blokk : a 2000m² art space next to Budapest Városliget / City Park) turn into massive pubs, to the utter delight of the rising trend of alcohol tourism taking over downtown Budapest by 2010-2015...
As we will see in later chapters Erdődy is always inspired, driven and obsesses with music, his punk heritage, as much as being pulled in by bars and extremely unconventional parties he has documented. He can be considered an interesting impersonifcation of straight forward / other-ness resulting in a stoney exterior contrasting starkly with the primarily smooth attitude of trending social themes such as cynisism and compulsary cuteness. Art clubs, hyped social movements are not his cup of tea, especially those breeding ideas mostly within their modest circle. While this became examplary, Erdődy began being an independent observer, leaving them sometimes due to their incooperative behaviour a level behind. He somehow manages to shatter expectations... to him the weird stuff is the real stuff.

What is he about?

Talking absurdity allegorically. His poetry is brave. Retina activating visual fragments through paintings and collages like hallucinogenic visions are also down his alley. Traces of psychic wavelenghts in poetry and installation art form a great body of work. A little bit crazy? A little bit bad. Generous but firm? Although a bit rough around the edges - with a sensatiable apetite for eclectic artistic expressions - Erdődy still has a sense of himself being marginal. Others call him a significant character, a practical man, or a good man in a tight corner. Not accused of realism, and to achive what a modern rebel can: multitasking does the trick! But what is he? Confidently executed candour gestures of a dangerous individual with a mysterious past or an agressive biological organism with a specific aim towards the undiscovered? Gettin us into thinking he is the ultimate outsider, but his ethereal qualities soon make us question our own pre(mis)conceptions. Does he really live by his own code in the most off-beat stories, taking the breaks off entertaining us with an outlandish palette? Perhaps a resurfacing protoype from a thought-to-be lost pool of cell-memory beyond clandestine illusions? Surely a prolific person who can express himself able to relate to suburban people, drug people, artists, as well as academics, movie makers and an international scene. Thinking in real historical terms, Erdődy is a critic, an eyewitness. Observant and sharp. Anything but a remote viewer. Remarkably ironbound in regards to pursuing subcultures: he is actively probing underground nighlife in Budapest with his camera for over a decade. Previously underlooked places now gone he wholeheartedly documented with all it's inhabitors. Surprisingly Erdődy knows tremendous amount of personal stories behind the characters. We are talking about hundreds of people, interesting characters, frontrunners, musicians and their entourage, etc. roaming the night dropping by at non-touristy venues. To link up with his informants besides. Erdődy is attending rehearsals, discovering new venues first hand, and is sitting at the bar for days or dancing while taking pictures in secret, rediscovering the principles of documenting incognito. This is his game - the nature of the beast. To be stuck in high gear! Resources tapped into by only a few, he easily clears us up about debates regarding Budapest, it's customs and culture. Especially the underground scene. On the surface above basements and catacombs he is also capturing the city's metamorphosis as gentrification launches as late as 2011-2012. https://www.offbeatbudapest.com/features/budapest-stag-parties-stagpocalypse/
Compelling human conflicts and ratings as the coin flips over Budapest... old building getting gutted, only the fascades remain...some sort of well packaged illness creeping over her, like when after too much fighting victory makes you weak... Downtown areas flushing out alternative bars and social spaces, the city council meanwhile authorizing all sorts of purchases. The profit motif. A question of simple arithmetics. Regular folks down the block disappearing: beggars can't be choosers. Erdődy as an international figure is well placed to have an overlook on the entire affair! 800.000 migrating away giving space to mentality twists of the past coming to town (the more you move away from Budapest within Hungary, the more you go back into the past... this past is now coming to town). The inner city is slowly turning into an ellaborate tourist trap, a honey-swamp bath with shrieking cardboard people in candy ass monkey suits! Into a black patina Froopyland - fun & fangs! Lady Killers in the Human Zoo, and sedated packanimal silhouettes. A barbaric overkill. Nightlife has gone round the bend. Joyless cash grab. Overloaded with British people. The modern version of The Canterbury Tales acted out by the agents of averageness. Semi-digital pilgrims on the way to find their personalized revelation drowning meanwhile in the absolute flesh. Once was punk / goth / synth heaven juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown and a radical change in the social order. The Communist analogue atompunk atmosphere looking like an ultimate lost world is coming to an end in Budapest by 2018-2019.

For more read the following article: https://www.calvertjournal.com/features/show/11280/in-budapests-offbeat-8th-district-gentrification-and-political-pressure-go-hand-in-hand

Or please read the following article See the luxury side of Budapest with a promo video attached... popular tourist attractions.

In short: Tourists bringing their delicate sensibilities demanding that the city and it's services adapt to the foreign apetite and taste, resulting in sterile spaces, made-up traditional food places and fake ruin pubs with no indoors smoking anymore... Their make-believe world overwriting local customs and a normal sense of reality. If confronted, they give you the look of horrified realization. Some thinking there is a penalty for jaywalking or for not wearing cycling helmets, in a country where law is a question of debate. A very important social change accours when from 2015 students cannot afford rentals anymore as a result of tourism and short-term rentals. Altogether extreme cases of have and has not: placated people getting angry. A highly critical exhibition was performed by multiple artists highlighting this topic is 2019 when they take over an abandoned shopping mall from Communist times and turn it into a showroom: OTTHON (Csoportos kiállítás) // HOME (Group exhibition)
OtthonÁruház, Budapest
2019.05.17 – 05.24. /// 2019.05.17. 18:00 Megnyitó (Exhibition opening)
https://welovebudapest.com/2019/05/20/egy-hetig-szabadon-bemehetunk-az-elhagyott-otthon-aruhazba/

Erdődy is documenting the parallel changes regarding gentrification and as he calls it with friends, the "old school Budapest" being devoured by a very new occourance constituted of choice, selection, quantity and investement, which were not present during Communism. One of the utmost important topics Erdődy follows are old bars set up in the 1960s-1980s still present in Budapest by the 2010s. This is when they start being overcome by standardized and cheaply built tourist hotspots. The classic Budapest pub culture is slowly disappearing, he noticies, giving it a try to photograph as many as possible...

... in his poem A csillagosra festett kék mennyezet alatti bárpultok: Budapest 2000-ben, Erdődy is giving us a very distinct list of bars, clubs and pubs from around the year 2000 (and what they will become), out of which most are gone by 2020. This poem is uploaded here on the fan webpage. Within the poem we also find Wichmann's, one of Erdődy's obvious choices for favourite local pub. The description is detailed and reveals secrets one could only know if going a lot to eat at this very special venue.

THE WICHMANN CASE:
A more intimate effect is caused by the sudden announcement of Tamás Wichmann, 9 times World Champion in canoe and a legendary barkeeper in the inner part of VII. district, thus the Jewish Quarter. His pub originally named St. Jupat, set up in the 1 store high building he received as a sort of pension for his sportsman records during Socialism, and where he used to live above: became asset for real estate market prognosis. In December 2018 after 32 years of existence - Wichmann's the pub has it's official debute night with proper papers and a license to sell alcohol in 1987 - the bar is shut down, and the building, Kazinczy street 55 is sold. Wichmann has very personal reasons due to health issues. Regulars also suspect, the neighbourhood became another reason, since it changed so much over the years. Wichmann for example used to be the first to stay open late into the night in these prior rough parts of town, nowadays melting together into an amusement park. It is rumored for months during the winter of 2018-2019, that the estimate value of the building itself could reach up to 1 million EURO. One of the most important social spaces in the history of post-World War II and pre-fall of the Berlin Wall Budapest has been silenced forever.
Videos on the venue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZA4B-SrYvg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToseRWY-vuA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TahUd4JwWZU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBOgeDItwrw

Side effect of peeling away the past so intensely: buildings are getting finally renovated to set the stage for carnal desires and mass amusement. Chaos outballances creation - with one or another stinking rip' on each corner including quality establishments with which local average income simply cannot keep up with in the first place. Erdődy calls it: "abusement park". Problems that preoccupy the Hungarian capitol. A giant mausoleum of fascinations. Destroyed streets now filled with litter on top. Overcome by the worst Britain and the Western hemisphere can offer in regards to drunks. Perfect topics summerized also in Erdődy's poetry (some sort of plainclothes investigative poetry) and combined on approx. 600.000 of Erdődy's assorted photos /// rare images /// taken between 2003 and 2018: his collection mirrors a period of great change! Project: Underground Republic™. Especially the Underground Republic Budapest™ series. These pictures referred to are not self-referential or selfy type pieces for instagram addicts. Nor usage photography relatable to assignment fees. They were taken with the intention to resemble a family album, rather than a monochrome series of sharp poses in the post-production process. This wast mosaic of cultural history is captivating since it is showing us real people in their most intimate moments. Unstaged. Candid photography at it's best - into the face! Many are non-conceptual portraits. On these historic records – with focus on cultural implications – Erdődy is not present. The core authenticity of these images is that they are not staged or manipulated in any form afterwards.

His writing is a coded memoir of the atmosphere in Hungary at the time. But his photo-project is seeking the from other internationally known photography essays (Gordon Parks, Garry Winogrand, etc.) earlier introduced „human condition”. Despite being told too often that people are insensible right now (the age of elvtelenség and kérkedés a hatalommal) he cannot be distracted. Never cockey, never self-centered, he is following a documentarist photography tradition and is literally chasing after topics into hidden bars – to hear, to register swallowed opinions from as many different people as possible –. He is frequently undertaking discoveries into underground hideouts and across noisy construction sights jumping fances on daily basis. He is going after photographic facts reaching an artistic level in doing so; counting also the decrement of underground bars in numbers he has documented. He has a list of 490+ venues.

The period of moving into overdrive is simple to explain. He is working on pictures parallel to writing (a huge series of digitally constructed collages he calls commonly Artificial sacrifice) is the next phase. From postcard size to classic tacepao (Big-character poster) he is creating strange images. To start producing this kind of art was inspired by Man at the Crossroads – 160 cm × 43 cm (63 in × 17 in) –, a 1934 fresco by Diego Rivera (created in New York City), which is a portrait of a polarized world with both political symbology and details on consumerism. Most of Erdődy's collages are made between 2008 and 2014. He exhibits them once with the title Kiélezett Képeslapok (Cutting Edge Postcards), other times printed on T-shirts. As dictated by hybris he adds a system to madness and as soon as he needs a break at writing he continues with collages. This method he names: „Simultaneum”. Pioneer act nr 2. The digital album planned to be released by fall 2019 is titled pigmentraping. His inspiration for his collages are boosted by the discovery of Sammy Slabbick (born 1977) and his works by 2018 realising the thematic and humorful connection making Erdődy engage again in creating his lustful images.

http://sammyslabbinck.tumblr.com/
https://kristoferdody.com/gallery/collage

Erdődy recommends: Anna Bu Kliewer >>> MORE
Nika Qutelia
Matt Cunningham
Jesse Craig
Steven Quinn
Matthieu Bourel
John Stezaker
Julien Pacaud
Nikita Gale: THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE
Stefan Kreiger
Ernesto Artillo
William Klein
Graham Moore

Bonus: Collage Memory Game + Erdei Sára - High on Glue

Photography in detail

How to describe the visual quality of Erdődy's work? W. Eugene Smith he is fond of a lot. Looking up to the sleekness of portraits taken by Arnold Newman, with the softness we know from Thomas Struth? Or Anders Petersen's Hamburg series as a Calvaria to be admired? Erdődy reads, checks, but isn't overwhelmed, nor is he building up a fandom towards photographers mentioned. He understands the delicate compositions of Joel-Peter Witkin. Lee Miller's fragile corners. Daidō Moriyama's split second snapshots. The violent randomness of Timothy Fadek. The semi-religious search of Edward Weston; eloquent nudes stripping in the desert becoming statues. The broken into contrast characters of Gerard Wessel. The reality behind Lee Friedlander's perspectives. Edward Burtynsky's astonishing industrial landscapes. Street photography by Steve Edson from the 1970s. Lucien Clergue's gelatin silver stillstands. The straight forward characters of Ian Berry steeped in culture. Sculpturesque frames by Manolo Campion. The Henry Leutwyler close-ups. Bob Mazzer's sitting subway sculptures per frame. The clarity of Michael Kenna. The audaciously bold poster punctuality by Kourtney Roy. The Naked Landscape architecture by John Swannell. Russel James's works letting you jump to conclusions. Ruven Afanador's beastial details. Robert Doisneau's shots full of humor surrounded by history. The thick and rough contours of William Klein. The Gregory Crewdson scenes. Daring dynamics of Ellen von Unwerth. The though flux of Margaret Bourke-White's achievements. The dark poetry photography of Ichirō Kojima. The rich in detail human skin super close-ups of Harri Peccinotti. The monochrome heavy hitters by Sebastião Salgado. David Perry’s dusty dreamland lanscapes surrounding his Hot Rod Photography. Roger Fenton's nostalgic daydreams of heroism. Henry Hering's insane asylum images. Nick Knight's surreal neon kitch shaken by gravity. The grainy and brittle world Lida Moser's sharpness. Edward Jean Steichen before and during the events of the Pacific Theatre. Bruce Gilden with his direct approach. Terence Donovan, uncomplicated, elegant. Nancy "Nan" Goldin's characters having a fragile gaze. The intrusive nature of Ron Galella's frames. Mario Testino's intensified hyperrealism. The blank monumentalism of Herb Ritts. Even the heavy air of later photographers like Hungarian Béla Dóka (the two met through Russian-Hungarian art historian Krisztián Nagy back in the mid-2000s). It is all there, but it would be a mistake to compare. Erdődy is definitely following the lead dictated by Diane Arbus, Helen Lewitt, Maciej Dakowicz, Mike Brodie and others. Focusing both on the poor, the young or those roaming the streets. Especially on drunks, loners, sociopaths, psychos, freaks, hobos, misfits, drop-outs and outsiders.
This might be the angle, a better way of investigating Erdődy's message to create „kordokumentum”. The documentarian approach of Rudolf Hervé we know Erdődy appreaciates as well. Highly inspired by Brassaï 's (1899-1984) remarkable album The Secret Paris of the 30s (published in 1974) he openly admits. The continuity is obvious. Sinful alleys and the dark side of Paris shown in Brassaï 's album with vulgar shadows inhabiting the streets after sunset and easy women stalking the roads like phantoms are very familiar to Erdődy throughout his activity in Budapest, a city just waking up to modern times. With the multiplicity of artistic practices – investigation, disguise, language skills and documentation – Erdődy is a born creature of the night and perfect for the job. Holding the distance from photojournalism is another interesting quality of him. By now we can play with the thought to interpret him as an marginal intrepid reporter, but this he is debating as he is clearly respecting his hunting grounds. He is willingly not making the exposure of his figures mainstream. Provocation here is introverted. As if a queer Halloween and a goth All Saints’ Day would clash on top of punk remnants of Budapest while his camera is incarcerated in the underground holding cells of town. The disciplined and consequent field work at some point is showing an are-bure-boke style... as street photography is mixing with action photography adding all the undercover work invested: the results are clearly having a personal touch. Erdődy's technique is simple: he is ready to take the picture at a moments notice, never doing a series, just a shot, and a safety frame.

Role models in photography

Adoration of role models for Erdődy seems to be organic and their influence is sucked in by him as part of the working process itself. Erdődy sais: „In a poetic sense instead of leaping from one gargantuant footprint to the other I lie down in them and accumulate the warmth left on the surface by true giants to understand their weight and impact. Aestethics in this form is the elegant and tasteful gesture within a visual message able to be forwarded. While composition is the imprint of a very personal geometrical comfort zone within the frame of the beholders mindset.” He admires the art of Nickolas Muray and Arnold Genthe.
The tradition Erdődy follows has been established most likely by Tamás Urbán and András Bánkuti both documenting underground scenes throughout the 1980s of socialist Hungary. Another era Erdődy looks up to is represented by the works of Tamás Fényes, Sándor Kereki, Imre Kinszki, Lajos Kozák and István Gaál, members of a post-World War 2 generation; also emancipated artists like Eva Besnyő, Kati Horna and Ata Kando, most active between the 1930s and 1970s. There's more. Imre Benkő active 1970-2010, János Eiffert (mostly the early materials) active 1970-2017 or Miklós Déri still working. Furthermore: Éva Keleti, Tamás Farkas, Imre Benkő, Imre Földi, Ferenc Fehérváry, Károly Gink, Katalin Nádor, Károly Vimola, Ludwig Kellner, Barna Danis. Or press photographer / photo reporter Zoltán Szalay and local underground historian and documentarist of Tatabánya town Zoltán Raáb (https://recorder.blog.hu/2018/11/09/raab_zoltan_fotorecorder). In regards to Berlin and the western hemipshere names like: Sven Marquardt and Edward Grazda.

Newly Erdődy enjoys the art of https://www.eightandtwo.com/ aka Yu Fujiwara.
WEST BERLIN: https://west-berlin.tumblr.com/archive
Another source of favourite visual supplyments he recommends:http://www.andrewmiksys.com/ - art by Andrew Miksys.
Hungarian sources to check out for those into visuals of the moment: Daniella Grinberg + Sándor Csudai + Ádám Csábi.

Depicted by someone else's lens or brush

Many good pictures were taken by professional and hobby photographers over the years. The snapshots of Igor and Ivan Buharov on celluloid, or Norbert Szabó, Zsuzsi Csorba, Géza Király, Patrícia Kalicka, and many others who are well preserving some of Erdődy's eccentric moments (for further stimulaton please visit the Gallery).

Young Warrior by Stefanie Füst (Image 96 of 115 in menu Depicted by) was taken in the most extreme phase of the artist. Füst was following him in every bar as he was taking notes on his arm ending up every morning being fully covered by poem scatches. He was in the beginning of becoming beefy, still having a punk mohawk. As Füst is inspired by Depeche Mode - Walking In My Shoes the red colour and heavy undertone is reflected in the portrait...

An equally great portrait was shot by Vica Fekete – using an analogue camera – in May 2013 showing us the Vittula Family ambient with alcohol involved. On the picture we can see Adrian Zador and Erdődy (both regulars) just before the moment Erdődy is devouring his second Mussolini cocktail that night (2-3 dl vodka, 1-1,5 wine with peach juice on top, all filled in a pint glass). This was a hit in Vittula at the time just as much as Chupito or Fisfos in the past and Füzi or Zsigány or Csudicum koktél these days. For more: https://www.instagram.com/ncklsmvr/?hl=ms

The first international photographer with a professional approach on depicting Erdődy in his natural environment was documentarist Leroy Drevdal from Norway who arrived to Hungary with the intention of capturing political prostests. Meeting Erdődy got him interested even more in the undeground of Budapest. He started photographing various bands in Budapest and several more on tour (Hinds, Sports Team, Walt Disco, Tess Parks, including performers of the The Great Escape Festival 2019), and made a long interview with Erdődy provoking his sagacity. Drevdal calls Erdődy the Documentarist of Budapest and is soon engaged in projects such as working with Tess Parks on one of her videos or taking pictures for Armani. By 2020 Drevdal & Erdődy build a photo studio of their own coming up with incredible ideas how to document the reborn raver scene of Budapest... zheir alliance is uóin full blossom. On Drevdal's instagram account we can find several great images of Erdődy as both the artist and the hard psycho-trailer-drinking wildman, thus sending the myth into orbit: https://www.instagram.com/lacerda.photo/?hl=en

Among others following artists have depicted Erdődy over the years (photo, drawing, oil painting, video, or mixed media): Ágnes Verebics, Norbert Szabó, György Jovián, Patrícia Kaliczka, Zsuzsi Csorba, Szabolcs Burucs, Menyus, Vica Fekete, Ármin Major, Leroy Drevdal, Gyula Terebesi and Laura de Bie.

Interesting fact: Jovián is painting Erdődy half naked despite not having any knowledge about the reality that Erdődy indeed is dancing like this in underground chambers after midnight, latest 02:00 AM. Precisely as seen on multiple photos documenting diverse rituals, fertility dances...
https://indagaleria.hu/artists/jovian-gyorgy/images/1
This particular painting among others by Jovián was exhibited inside the Grand Palais, Paris.
https://www.kortarsonline.hu/vizual/arch-jovian-gyorgy-alkotasai.html

Other depictions:

Written material by Imre Turkó about Erdődy - title of th edeep analysis: Sokértelmű magányból (2012)
https://issuu.com/famoushungarianpervert/docs/sokertelmu_maganybol

Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem Doktori Iskola: Szilágyi Kornél mestermunkájának leírása
Igor és Ivan Buharov: Az itt élő lelkek nagy része
Színes, angol feliratos, magyar játékfilm, 2016, 93 perc, 16 mm-es filmre forgatva,
majd 2K felbontásban szkennelve, super 8-as betétekkel - Mozi premier: 2016. Március 15.
http://doktori.mke.hu/sites/default/files/attachment/Szilagyi%20Kornel%20-%20mestermunka%20leirasa.pdf.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:aqahckixWIkJ:doktori.mke.hu/sites/default/files/attachment/Szilagyi%2520Kornel%2520-%2520mestermunka%2520leirasa.pdf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=hu&client=firefox-b

How to record the comprahensive view of Budapest just by asking the right person? A quantum leap in Hungary based polymath activities presented with an open eye was brought to us by two young filmmakers recording Erdődy as late as Spring 2021 (project in the making). As a matter of fact there were other TV crews eager to film him, often let down by their studio. Also via writing many before the 2021 documentary movie set-up have taken a shot at interviewing this strange man for obvious reasons. Namely a will-be book about the artists (or so it's rumoured as street gossip let's us know by now)…

Forms of Expression - painting (basics)

Phase One:
First impressions on him are maded by Anthony Lupatelli' colour patterns from the late 1980s and Zdenek Burian's usage of lighting in the backgrund of pre-historic landscapes from the late 1970s. Erdődy's painting derives from the ancient art of ceramic artistry as a result of meeting son of son of Zoltán Székács (1921-1983), ifj. Zoltán Székács (Jr.) (born 1954), industrial ceramic designer around 2001 / 2002. The two spent years together not only in the studio perfecting techniques, but travelling together to find hidden folklore symbols and collect artifacts.
CV: https://www.kormendigaleria.hu/muvesz/szekacs_zoltan.html
SLIDESHOW OF SZÉKÁCS'S PAITINGS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWDkeIFIwV4
CONTACT: https://www.facebook.com/szekacszoltanmuterem/
INTERVIEW 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLdMX7GAlKM
INTERVIEW2 – WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=63&v=v-x20PJVLSc
ARTICLE: https://www.ujmuveszet.hu/2017/10/kortars-archaizmus-szekacs-zoltan-festmenyei/
WORKSHOP: https://www.modulartacademy.hu/oktatok/szekacs-zoltan/

As Erdődy gains apprenticeship at his home, the knowledge of figuration how to build up surfaces to look like granit, marble, terracotta, clay, limestone, even concrete or paper or rust are the benefit of their mutual friendship lasting for a couple of years. The technique is converted from industrial chemical compounds and mass production processes as Székács is head of production in one of Hungary's factories in the 1980s, 1990s. While apprentice and master are rediscovering surface-building on a small scale (as they are zooming in on the same decorating process of painting as when ceramics are in the phase just before being burned out), they as a side-effect are also preserving the old, the modern and the reinvented, rediscovering many visual elements. These achievements are of utter importance and shouldn't be overlooked. Erdődy reactivates these skills in 2012 and combines techniques and colour-combinations for 7 years without end. An important procedure he uses often is known as Sgraffito. He synthesises past experiences and graphic solutions of unique fine artists such as Tom Thomson, Thomas Eakins, Ashley Wood, Georg Grosz, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, Charles Sheeler, Michele Mitchell, Egon Schiele, Albert Herter, Don Flemming, Malcolm T. Liepke, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Paul Seiffert, Felix Schwormstedt, John Bagnold Burgess, Kunffy Lajos, Ken Browne, Aimee Parrott, John Larriva, Frans Verhas, Joachim Ringelnatz, Carla Klein, Johann Michael Sattler, Diego Gravinese, Max Slevogt, Beiren Hou, Rose Frantzen, Gustav Schönleber, Antonio Mancini, Michael Borremans, Frederick Arthur Bridgman, Anders Zorn, Adolf Des Coudres, Gao Xiaohua, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Anselm Kiefer, Tetsuya Ishida, Háry Gyula, Robert Hammerstiel, Michael Alford, Adam Clague, Alberto Mielgo, Georges Schreiber, Neysa Moran McMein, Kent Williams and Pierre Solages; inspired by illustrators like Jim Steranko, Syd Mead(!), Jim Blanchard, Amrita Sher-Gil, Mel Ramos, Victor Karlovich Shtemberg, Alexander Leydenfrost, Ralph Mcquarrie, Erik Werkenskiold, Mark Bradford, Jakub Rozalski and Cynthia Sheppard; further investigating the incentive brushwork of classics as Austin Osman Spare, Lovis Corinth, Albert Joseph Penot, Franz von Stuck, Ron Lesser, Diego Rivera, Alpho Hohenstein, Valery Liashkevich, Eduard Manet, James Avati, Enrique Simonet, Gustave Courbet, Giulio Aristide Sartorio, Albert Bierstadt, Jean Fautrier, Frederic Edwin Church, Paul Gauguin, William Rush, James Ensor, Théodore Géricault, Lucien Freud, Antoni Piotrowski, Zinaida Serebriakova, Francisco Goya, Gabriel Metsu, Robert Lewis Reid, Georges Rochegrosse, Nicolas Morot, William Merritt Chase and Jean Fouquet. Erdődy's aim is to conjure up their methods and combine their magic in both figureative and non-figurative ways with the echo of panel compositions. His landscape paintings show obvious signs of influence by Dennis Miller Bunker (1861-1890) and Maurice Canning Wilks (1910–1984).

Second Phase:
Besides the painting style originating under the tutelage of Zoltán Székács ceramic artist turned painter https://artportal.hu/lexikon-muvesz/szekacs-zoltan-6401/,another influence quikly followed represented by György Jovián (born 1951), a master from Partium with whom they share a series of cooperations over the span of 4-5 years.
VIDEO: http://mmakademia.hu/alkoto/-/record/MMA7960
CV: https://indagaleria.hu/en/artists/gyorgy-jovian
Besides Jovián's rough nature and thus harsh vacancies this means mostly being part of exhibition opening performances and participating at each others events. Erdődy is often present at the master's atellier paties and intellectual discussions and opens Jovián's „Szép Új Világ” (Brave New World) exhibition in Inda Galéria in november 2007 in three phasis. First poetry (supported by musicians Gábor Valentiny and Előd Kostyák), performing an encomium like a church ritual afterwards, also adding pre-recorded frequencies of poetic jusitce to the mix turning off the lights unexpectedly letting people do the mantra in the dark! Supporting each others published materials with illustrations or poems became the next step. As a cordial gesture Erdődy writes a poem to be published in Jovián's restrospective life's work album next to the following painting from 2008: https://pinterauctions.com/stairways-2009
Another here: http://lescarnetsdeucharis.hautetfort.com/samagra-roy-sfeir/
In 2015 Jovián makes Erdődy one of his models for the series „A Híres, a Szép, a Nyomorult” (The Famous, the Beautiful, the Miserable) – one can only guess, which Erdődy might be. Besides this intermezzo with a title reminding us of the western film classic „The good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)” by Sergio Leone, the many visits at Jovian's attelier overlooking Feneketlen-tó (Bottomless lake) in Buda made Erdődy look up more to Jovián as planned. Like with Székács, he instinctively copies still able to learn like a child and get's inspired. The guidance of József Baksai and the numerous nights and meetings spent with Csaba Kis Róka have also left their marks on Erdődy's manners.
Inpspired during personal encounters with acclaimed award-winning painters Ágnes Verebics and Patrícia Kaliczka – making a proposition to her – he has lasting affiars with is another school he is picking up techniques at. Erdődy is combining well known classic techniques with ceramic artistry and results of his own experiments. He is using both brush and spray cannes. Mixing old school street art with classic painting resulting in porous surfaces overlapping and dominated by smooth oil paint layers. Unlike science, which is iliminating possibilites, the act of chemical components bonding is experimented by him to a great extent creating possibilities to fall back on. Progress can be well seen in Erdődy's ways of building up surfaces and pigmentation on canvas and wood getting more serious and complicated, thus crafty! These surfaces resemble the shut apart and crumbling fascades of everyday Budapest off-downtown.

Phase Three:
Erdődy receives the name / title Mon Feral Abbé (VI.) during a vernissage of his in 2016. A French secret family association is presenting him this offering as a token of respect, a special gift. He finally accepts and is celebrating the century old underground tradition (dating back to a morpheen addict performance artist from the 1920s called Madam Feral who had her shows in a Bristish sex club somewhere in Paris before the war). The rare title arriving to Budapest during Erdődy's exposé in the freshly opened Müszi Közért – an evicted cultural center reopening as a smaller business in the outer VII. district – in 2018 is well received by the local underground artist community!

The first non-fictional portrait Erdődy aka Mon Feral Abbé VI. has painted is the allegoric yet nostalgic image of Anita Horváth, a private clinic employee with impressive curves he had an affair with back in 2013.

Látomásfestészet – the prolific art of painting without recepies

Erdődy is painting psychological landscapes mingling with reality. Vivid and dramatic. With a large body of landscape scenes. Not sympathetic images of the surban environment we know all too well. On these enigmatic works the spacial recession isn't lacking conviction because its depicting no place on Earth, a dreamlike quality rather, integral to it's appeal, orchestrated together with a fine texture, delineated.
Using paint as physical entity or as color, no direct answer given. A brush, skillful colorist, not suttle dealing with tonalities too much, but the sophisticated element of the result of variety and it's vivid definition. The semi-sentimental dimensions of normal landscape sequences are finding their place only in corners surfacing as defined still life miniatures. From underneath this highlighted background-reality expressionst outbursts of ornamented roughness dominate the canvas. Genuine and noble motives highlighted by utterly chaotic standards, almost anachronistic (bubble gum pinkness, smooth textures, soft female bodyparts and rocks, and froms of melting vorticism™). Forming a kept at bay brutality turning naturalistic spectacle coated by elegance is deliberate. Violent colours entangling deformities and contrasts devouring each other in a frozen moment, which stops all dynamic action. Motionless in time, the sight is almost taxidermic at first. Pulsing of the mysitcal experience starts after one watches Erdődy's art pieces over a longer period, minutes may pass. A certain transformation is visualising within our minds as imagination tries to decode the artist's painted snapshot of a could-be-fictional scenery, thus pushing the boundaries within each viewer's subconscious. Reflecting back to reality becomes essential, an Ariadne's thread is symbolically present due to the many aspects of personal experience, such as faces and curves of women Erdődy has known and copulated with, describing them as animated property on photo paper. It's not about "Sex is the breakfast of champions", rather each woman's confusion in contrast with their bodily perfections. The habitat Erdődy finds ladies in is of course nightlife, where drunks and the deperate come together seeking tactile feedback. TÊTE ET COU - damsels in distress boil his blood! He is picking women with heavy features and usually a broken heart, disturbed, ready made F-, and animalistic looks like cat's eyes, pale skin, tomboy or athletic types, also characters with big hands or chins and long fingers or a ballistic cleavage. Their inner fight becomes his inpsiration. Such contained agression bonding with a delicate atmosphere is truly the art of an outsider following his very own vision without compromise. Surely these aren't expected action statements or the works of a passionate idealist, neither can we simply call it mad art looking for poetic initiation. Rather the manifestation of incredible psychological insight! Erdődy is able to reach in his painting what he is capable of in his retorics, fine tuned stimulation resulting in unexpected potency.
Having his own language is just one thing, but metaphorically he stands outside all institutions by having a powerful visual argument without harvesting impotent rage or the need to oppose. Although these works are created in a historic period of public anxiety overwhelming the overall legacy of creative Budapest before and during institutionalization and gentrification: Budapest is not depicted in his art directly. In the late 2010s growing poverty might not be pointed out in tourism statistics (which are off the charts), but the naked bodies on display in Erdődy's paintings are in fact reflecting on the many student girls (newcomers to the capitol) selling their bodies online to finance their schooling… with the rest working in pubs and restaurants (often with an open cleavage on display to earn better tips) mostly having underpaid jobs. These are the hidden features of enslavement on Erdődy's paintings. Another autobiographical hint can be discovered in the painting Hunter (short for Hunter S. Thompson) in which a warrior woman is missing an arm. This is in fact a reference to a facade in Aradi utca near Kodály körönd in Buudapest, where an entire series of facade decoration sculptures feature a woman in all versions missing an arm (in this neighbourhood Erdődy discovers one of his favourite restaurants and the best ice cream shop in town).
It is common that he is also adding parts of evicted and demolished buildings, shapes, silhouettes, incorporated carefully. The changing environment and as posh cocktail bars are taking over the dark and broken left-over territories from Communism (Socialism at best), namely student and basements bars. Masse sarrive looking for new taste sensations. This form of being repurposed ungracefully or getting pushed out of one's own environment by construction sights is somewhat present in Erdődy's art. He is used to small scale based underground partying with wild results instead of massive wannabe clubs playing posh and hard to get. The most direct form of this intrusion constitutes as landscapes in his paintings are breaking in two as if split legs would be forced to make space for alien penetration. Landrape and mass investment with no regards to locals, their indiginous customs and the cultural views Budapest's fewer and fewer locals – those being aware of it's history – practice are topics to him. Budapest changing at a break-neck speed flushing out the underground and marginal elements. The inner city is turning somewhat convoluted rendering inhabitants perplexed as the Airbnb bubble invites real estate cultists taking over, while foreign demand for bars is accieding supply. The quality of these establishments is getting worse and worse over the span 2010-2020 turining into basterdized versions of themselves. Some because they are simply chasing after entertainment value they already had, but by now lost due to the struggle to meet foreign expectations. It's not about how hey are decorated, but how much impact they have on local's lifes. Inevitably undistinctive, it seems. Clubs full of stag party tourists destroying each old venue's reputation by being served upfront (conditions favourable); like a discharge outlet for the foolish and wannabe. Borderline nonsensical, to put it mildly. Redundant gestures, superfluous actions, globalisation intoxicated with most sawed after delicassies for a low price. Horrifically dull. Places full of people, but utterly abandoned at the same time - it's all foreigners dropping by for cheap drinks and downtown Budapest somehow bends over. Secret prostitution in hotel rooms. Kids on designer drugs going Blade Runner cut off from all sensation (members of a generation getting traumatized for breakfast). And the newly prosperous Hungarians backed by international investment guilds - all affluent and demanding as in the bustling restaurants near the Danube deals are done and developement is celebrated. Rich strangers are wielding enourmous power over local's lifes. The tragedy, which staggers the imagination we experience on a global scale. Everyday closeness replaced by detached attitudes, like everywhere due to rapid urbanisation. A city paved over by progress. Scores of industrial parks popping up, still it's all a house of cards - it can't hold forever… yet Hungarians form strong bonds as a result of their harsh history of occupation (800 years), war and tranzit country cataclisms. Such reflections on social anomalia are gentily embeded in Erdődy's works knipping at the heels of runaway-growth. A symbolic and festive fashion is traceable as pointient attention is guide to manifestation on canvas and wood. Most important work in this aspect is Midtown Madness, a paiting full of real life events of Budapest between 2010-2020. This painting also evokes the Dish of Phalusses by Caesar (Bronze, Paris, 1970s) as a bunch of penises are coming out the grill of a London double-decker bus with which tourists implode into the Carpathian Basin, thus Hungary. The title comes from the PC game (released on April 30, 1999) with an identical title – this choice reflects on the show-offs chasing through town late night on weekends coming from the countryside or directly form the outskirts with roaring engines to impress women…
… people cutting corners.
As a non-direct form of subsidiary visualisation: the appreciation of nudism appears in Erdődy's art formally. It becomes a symbol for younger generations arriving to Budapest unaware of current processes (mental virgins to currently changing dynamics). Most are almost surving them becoming vague witnesses, while turning their backs on the problems presented – a regulation of sheer cinism and trending passiveness. Artificial degenerates. Making it unable for them to vote with their eyes, which are blurred by the mass culture they consume in form of visual hard drugs and violent media? Erdődy is undoubted, his passion undeminished, he doesn't care. No need to salvage his reputation, all evidence to the contrary, he simply moves on as the city's changing attitute retrofits his approach and the ways he is dealing with the changes… closing a chapter, leaving the inner city he now calls Dühöngő Telep (Abusement Park) – a stress release place for supreme staisfaction and no regards to indigineous life forms.

Like in his poems or on his photographs documenting a city senselessly crushed by new ideals without second thoughts, the renovated into hybrid-reality urban environment becomes and easter-egg in his paintings, while in reality the mixture of practicality and lucrative businesses are inspiring the shocking perspectives of foreground and background. These as a 3D contrast-diagnosis of forced and rushed changes are an echo to how manmade cliffs, concrete walls emerge right outside his studio window and are unavoidable to recognise. Detectable real events, monitored urbanisation and destruction are unquestionably present in his art in some form. To understand this, one has to know that the fascade-surfaces of crumbling buildings – in the 1980s, 1990s and throughout the early 2000s – as an everyday visual experience are transferred by Erdődy to the canvas for later analysis. Segments of many paintings do in fact match the looks of facades and blank brick walls from an era when ruin buildings in Budapest were not only unquestionably real, but everyday sights and normal patterns of daily life. Not set apart at all... original ruin bars on the other hand were only a concept for the future to exploit dismissing those who originally worshipped them, as students of the early 2000s are quikly facing bouncers and ridiculous prices, while buildings stay the same: damaged, scarred, burnt, ready for disaster tourists eating out. Thanks to his radical thinking, Erdődy reverently preserves faitning reminders, these fragile and fleeting surfaces in his images. Causeway inclosures. The experience of such bewildering gentrification serves between 2010 and 2020 as both inspiration and backdrop for his art.
As part of the larger picture, even the purposefully kept in decay buildings eventually start ending up being prostituted out (from around 2010-2012). Considered naturally unused prehistoric objects: as part of Budapest's architectural profile streets start to show ecltectic tendencies again. Still everything which Budapest's youth was supporting in the very begining of an artistic downtown experience decades prior – empty houses turned social spaces –, now becomes playground to utterly primitive stag party, flown in eating-out and culturally hidious sex tourism. It hasa deep inpact on Hungarians and is transforming society. Abstraction facing eviction subsequently follows as an inexcusable consiquence of historic change and global financial interest. Locals get stepwise confined by the colonia lattitude as if being already part of an unwanted past. In the middle of this Erdődy situates himself further away from the buzzing downtown avenues filled with daydreamers, pleasure seaking Airbnb-bedroom-refugees and those stumbling through streets turning theme park… mostly semi-naked human convoys, foreigners in their alcohol rush moving in a slow pace on foot or on all fours. Erdődy is paiting similarly bizarr scenes, like when Super Mario is racing through Hell in a buggy with a smile on his face. The artist is well aware of critising the absurditiy of mass tourism, especially catastrophy tourism – Communism, Holocaust, the Battle of Budapest 1944-1945, the Hungarian uprising of 1956, etc. –. Erdődy's beloved city is turning upside down and inside out as work becomes part of the Hungarian capitol's fundamental cosmology, and the race for status and prestige is fueling the fever of prospectors raising entire city blocks of new built housing estate all around. It is turning undemistificated classic neighborhoods into moonscapes, while the scaffolding that holds up the modern world is growing around the city out of metal like a cold armor. „Ál-lírai Duna-motívumok szerint a hullámzó monolit architektura, mey neobrutalista látszóbeton anyaghasználatával a minimal art felé kacsint ostobán" (Fake softness of Danube motifs through waves of neobrutalism, the exposed concrete contraversially contrasted with invocative forms of organic tenderness trying to still maintain it's minimal art standards) - in this tone Erdődy grasps the essence of the change (the range of perspective pursuing a very short sighted policy) knowing all too well that this is a tipping point in the long history of Budapest. But that reconstructing the inner city will reach it's climax within only half a decade, staying in this frenzy introducing a new demand for luxury goods? Former pubs and caffe houses turning luxurious restaurants and accessoire shops, booming eversince! The fundamental dynamics of this industrialized system, the concentration of economic and accessive corporate power behind it (events beyond the powers of instant description) even surprise Erdődy, who always was patroling the streets from one popping up construction sight to the next, which were in fact rarities before. He has photographed these without falsification, a landscape he knows intimately, which now is transforming hastely. In this downtown theatre Erdődy is moving also between aggregation sights where main adult social life is carried out, such as bars, atelliers and concert halls. The colours of these hubs are reflected in his paintings immensely! Here he is gathering information and also recognising an unseen form of underclass appearing and hitting the gutters and side streets lurking around in front of him looking for leftovers after busy party weekends performed by tourists. Still while cranes control the sky above the city and the monumental jiggsaw puzzle is pieced together to catapult Budapest into a whole new chapter of eye-catching utilities (an era marked by wealth and objects of desire), Erdődy's aim stays to perfect his art and present it to his audience to balance materialism with spirituality. He is mostly working in 19. century buildings, former cloisters or studio apartments from a century ago. He physically follows his status as an outsider as he is moving away from the center, while everybody else is trying to get a shared room if nothing else, downtown. Street after street he tries to find a quiet spot to work, while the city catches up every few years becoming more domestic and modern. There's a very cohesive connection between artist and surroundings breeding a special quality. These paintings are understood – consciously or subconsciously – by everyone living in town at the time having witnessed the black and cracked residential buildings looking like communal monuments, now bulldozed away by the hundreds. Tracing the patches of virtual common land and learning the hazards of this particular environment, far from being a practicioner of bigot conservativism, Erdődy still shows great disciplin in further developing techniques passed down to him despite the circumstances. Wether hypermodern hypocrite art or fashion-following hypermodernism or intermedia, neither are challenged through his attractive tactical virtuosity in any form. Erdődy merely tries to further inspire with his evocative unorthodox tendency gaining it's strenght from being inspired by others himself, interrelating with both the living and the dead. This braveness in mirroring the distorted side of our reality is showing alternatives of non-speculative improvisatory expressions. Erdődy is not following interchangeable categories of any sort or uncertain and debilitating leads presented by hotspur, pubescent and puerile local curators inventing random doctrines for fine art, which may change on a weekly basis (just cause). Depsite all obsticles the intrepid vision surrounding Erdődy stays uncompromised and intact producing almost illusive paintings of great mystery. These laborious artifacts are part of a profoundly magical and spiritual act of respect and memory.

Reflexiók Haragh Aranka, nyugdíjazott restaurátor, jelenleg Franciaországban él (2019):
Ikonosztázion. Ez az első szó, ami erről a szerteágazó munkásságról eszembe jut. Szakmai ártalom.
A feltárás nyomai, melyeket Erdődy Kristóf követ, roppant egyediek.
A szinkronicitás extravagáns, minden bizonnyal az. Amikor legelőször értesültem ennek
a feltörekvő és önfenntartó, nem finnyás és nem fellengzős, mégis kihívó és karakán jelenségnek
a létezéséről, nem egy csapat, nem egy manapság divatos művészeti csoport állt hirtelen előttem.
A klikkek és gruppokban kekeckedő vizuális kéjelgés korában egy kitekintő konokság nézett vissza rám.
Egyetlen férfi, aki száz dolgot csinál egyidejlűleg, és jól. Tehát színvonalasan.
Az életmű legjelentősebb része – elvégre a verseket és a filmes és más munkásságát
csak laikusként tudom megítélni – az, ahogyan összeáll a szimbólumrendszer,
ami nem csak képeire jellemző, az ábrázolt megtekinthetőn jelenik meg leginkább!
Tetten érhető magán a műkeletkezés folyamatán is. Ama tény, hogy a bőrdzsekin hordott,
a 80-as évekből egyeneságon és nem citátumként viselt punk (harcidíszként létjogosult)
kitűzők a város (Budapest) homlokzatainak 1956-os golyónyommegfelelői, ez meglepő.
Ő így hordja, utcára napi szinten kivitt szimbolikájában a kopott bőr a város hámja,
a romlott látvány szempillával történő külszíni fejtése pedig minden pislogásban egy új filmkocka,
a Szuper 8 birodalmába beüvöltő hang: I am Budapest! Tudnunk kell, Erdődy tanítványa,
résztvevője az immár kultikus, és kiállítóterekbe fél lábbal bekandikáló kultúrának
(lásd. Kieselbach 2018-as 80-as évek plakátaukciója és a Kiscelli Múzeum 2019-es Fekte Lyuk tárlata),
noha másodgenerációs. Egyenes ágon tehát viseli, továbbhordja, új fejezetbe,
fokozatba hordja ki a kontinuitásban élő magyar underground ”népviseleteit”,
amit nevezhetünk hagyományőrzésnek is (nem elhamarkodott, ha már ennek nevezzük),
csupán ez a golyónyom szimbolizmus az, amivel az ő rítusa kiegészíti a goth-punk-grufti kultúrkört.
Egylényegű a várossal, említi egyik írásában. Továbbá Hemingwayt is idézi,
aki párizsi időszakáról jelentette ki, hogy a város változik, te is változol
(it changes, you changes, vagy valami ilyesmi).
Erdődy képeit pedig tüzetesen kell vizsgálni. A direkt utalásokként
– nemzetközi szakszóval easter egg – felmerülő motívumok beolvadnak a jellegzetes,
már-már porózus, nagyon is plasztikus, nevehetjük úgy, hogy falképek összképébe.
Elvégre Erdődy Budapest legendás (lassan már csak visszaemlékezésben létező)
változatába belecsöppenve kamaszként a szétlőtt fekete város (idézem őt) foglya,
annak igézetében nevelkedett, formálta magát kiemelkedően termékeny művészévé
a kortárs magyar kultúréletnek, miközben radar alatt képes maradni,
nem villog vagy játtsza meg a nagylegényt (ahogy ő mondja:
„there is no time for kecmec”). Manapság a márványimitációs stílus,
a formakövető módon felvitt lazúrok kora dívik. Egy 2013-ban diplomázó,
ha díjazottá, nemzetközi vásárlórétegre szert tett festőnövendék alig 2-3-4-5 év alatt befut,
máris látjuk, hogy az újabb végzősök rögtön majmolják.
A magyar szakos hallgatók körében lányom kapcsán láttam ezt 2018-ban,
mindenki Petri Györgyöt imitálja. Nem egy valaki. Nem is opponál a többi,
hanem együtt ugyanazt kopírozzák – tehát a citátumnál vagyunk ismét.
Látva a 80-as évek végi, 90-es évek eleji, a köldökig ágyékba bevágva (ismét!)
felhúzott farmernadrágokat, melyek a rendszerváltás korát idézik számomra,
egyet kell értenem Erdődy egyik írsának csattanójával:
„Egy előző generáció gyerekkorát adják el egy következőnek, akár több generációval odébb,
akik ezt beveszik, sajátjuknak érzik, mert más, noha már elmúlt. Felülről van leadagolva a divat,
ettől ez a divat diktatúrája. A politika is ezen a vágányon fut,
immár nem csak az állambácsikhoz szokott utódállamokban.
Ha ezt a nosztalgikus, revíziós közfelfogást megdobjuk a képregényadaptációs és synth-pop,
illetve trash kultúrát lemásoló korszellemre, rávetítjük a glóbuszt: ez nem más,
mint gőgös lustaság és cinikus ollózás… könnyen, gyorsan, nem önállóan.
Ahogy Anton Newcombe, egyik kedvenc zenészem mondta, a kultúrt, amit szeretnél,
ne várd, hogy majd odaadják neked, azt neked kell megcsinálnod.” És tatsache, csinálja.
Erdődy épphogy a még jelenlevőt fogja meg: fotói a jelenkor undergroundját ábrázolják,
míg festményei egy szétvert, porított városkép részleteit rejtik, zárják magukba.
Az olykor finoman felvitt fátyolréteg, a fellelhető simításos nyomok és a szabadkezes karcolások
is mind visszaköszönnek az utcán, ha a galériából a képeit megtekintést követően kimegyünk.
Lehet, ez még túl korai, még nem tűnik fel nekünk, akik már készülékekbe süppedve lézengünk,
sem gyerekeink számára nem egyértelmű, akik halláskárosodással fognak ülni egytől-egyig a
klinikákon 40-50 évesen a füldugaszokba menekülés elmúlt évtizedeiből kifolyólag, csak.
Ez egy rideg világ tükörképe, amire Erdődy színfoltokat ejt, terhelni akar minket,
akik elkényelmesedtünk, elpuhultunk. Párbajra hívásának elszánt tettlegességével
egyetlen gond van csupán, mi, akik kandallómellé való kezességre lettünk lebutítva
és e-banking életünket néha tinderkeringőkkel próbáljuk – kollektíve, tehát kudarca ítélve –
felfrissíteni, már nem vesszük a jelet, az éltrevalóknak szóló hívószót, kürtszavakat.
Mint mondtam, lassan beköszönt a süketség. Turkó Imre írja Erdődyről,
hogy a Vakok földjére szabadult rá Németországból a Hidegháború utáni
első hajnalokon.
Szervesen összenőve a magyarság problémáival,
teszem hozzá, amiket gubancként belülről pórbál kihámozni, megfejteni, felhasítani,
széjjelgordiuszkodni. Így a szerves anyagok használata is szemebtűnő munkáiban: megerősített fa keret,
vagy ahol az alapozáshiányba a festék belefolyt. Az azurit álmok a mostani Erdődy korszakban
festészetileg olyan kutatóablakot konzerválnak, ami a jelenkorra világít rá, kihangsúlyozva,
hogy mit is vesz be, kénytelen megemészteni elménk a Pesti utcákon járva a szem falánkságát követve.
Mácsai Pál említette Örkény István egyszereplős leőadása kapcsán egy közönségtalálkozón
(az Örkény idézetet követően: „úgy hullnak a szavak, mint az eső cseppjei”),
hogy például az a sok tábla, cégér, reklám, óriásplakát, leértékelés, ami a városban szembejön velünk,
talán már ki is van szűrve, be sem fogadja az agy. Részemről smét önmegvakítás tehát.
Egy szétlőtt várost, ami 60-70 évvel később kifordul ódon gúnyájából (most),
hogy „porcelános pőreséggel”, ahogy Erdődy írja egyik versében, „felzabálhassa elfojtott vágyainkat”.
Erdődy képein a színátmenet biztosítása olyan, mint más napszakokban figyelni felületeket,
maradjunk a példánál, homlokzatokat. Ahogy egyik megnyitója kapcsán elhangzott,
„hagymatáncos pigmentpermet”. Noha nekem a fázisponton fekvő felfeslés jobban tetszik.
Durva, robusztus, élénk és végletes ez a festészet.
Az alsó figurális és felső architekturális sáv váltakozik,
hol itt, hol ott, de egymáson pihennek.
A szemcsék erős reflexciója a teljesen feltárt állapotot mutatja meg:
íme, van erózió! - hirdetik Erdődy felületei. A súrlófények világa decens
kontrasztot alkot, míg a feketék elragadtatása szinte vulgáris.
Ragadozói áhítattal kémlelnek vissza ránk. Szaknyelven úgy fogalmaznám meg ezt,
hogy a felszínre törő hólyagos komponensek állatias drámája zajlik.
Ránk vadásznak és retinánkban vágynak egyesülni.

Unmasking Erdődy's poetry

Books - edited in a dadaist fragmented way - online:

Térképen más a Világ (versek / poems 2006-2009) - https://issuu.com/famoushungarianpervert/docs/2t__rk__penu

Nemtelen Mámorok asztalára (versek / poems 2006-2010) - https://issuu.com/famoushungarianpervert/docs/1nemtelenu

Halál Glóriával (versek / poems 2009-2012) - https://issuu.com/famoushungarianpervert/docs/3hal__lu

A special voice can also be heard in his enigmatic and satyric writing full of symbolism and surreal moments triggering psychoreactive narratives. Analytic macabre moments, the structuring of criticism takes on reality itself with an obsession on distopia. Expressionism, causal dialectics™, moral absolutism and forms of explanatory debates reflecting on reality through surreal angles (he calls megspékelt tényirodalom) mixing with dirty realism.This gives the basis of Erdődy's poetry.
This art also made use of satire, irony, and parody to dissect the newly rich bourgeoisie of post-Communist Hungary. On display are also a number of leading figures of Budapest's galerist, editor, translator, community space owner scene and nightlife in general (as depicted in short stories). To keep track of the local literary canon and art history / curator elite in particular, some stories are and can be considered harsh. This caricature expends to various media personalities (especially because these mentioned above social roles and positions started merging in Hungary, from around the early 2010s latest, thus the inbred / internal atmosphere as reflected).
Kárkép versek is a form of criticism reflecting as a narrative on reality compromised by social agony and denial forming patterns of modernism within disavowal (in painting Erdődy uses th eexpression Kártérkép - a term derrived from restorers). A sense of performative dichotomy can be traced in this approach, which switches first person monographic rendering to bird's-eye view narratives. The artist is poking the hard wiring of most people's psyché with subliminal suggestions. A violent yet mesmerising world with psychedelic landscapes resembling Steven Strange's comic books from the 1960s, the imaginative motion-muralesqueness familiar from films by Sergei Parajanov and Alejandro Jodorowsky and the atmosphere of the midnight movie genre tuned with Josan Gonzalez: https://www.instagram.com/deathburger/?hl=en

Cyberpunk poetry?

With the tenacity of a twenty-first century paranormal investigator, Erdődy introduces holystic and paranormal thoughts with great delight, as when black holes are irises eating light, observing time itself through tasting fotons and as non-formative, antropomorph openings in space are monitoring our universe? He writes such crazy lines hitting Dream & Subconscious Bedrock. Astral traces, secret thought-projections and destined desires as pillars of creation with translucid beings inhabiting the fictional foreground of a reality coming from the subconcious, which serves as a background to the stage of thoughts. In another text 8 billion people of planet Earth are observers ”working” for the same entitiy splitting up to separate bodies to learn from eachother for itself. The fractal geometry of mind and media, universe and online platforms as well as neurons firing like stars is a constant topic formation (téma-csokor) in some of his early poetry. Besides making "Rick & Morty Poerty" 10 years prior to the popular US animated series, the mesmerizing mensuration of inner happenings and the resulting consiquenses on common reality are accurately investigated and highlighted in detail. Anticipation of the upcoming spirit of mass-transhumanism, cyberfreaks and psychological meltdown. His political verse in some aspects is it really showing a touch, a trace of diffusionist theoretics?
Classic Hungarian literature spiced up with fine humor, spy action indications, some sort of drama and a huge dose of bizarre humor. Tragic and shockig in equal measure. Somewhere along those lines the grip of absurd reality is loosened by fearless action: facing inner desires through disciplin. Since texts themselves - like the author - are consequential, the meaning in most poems is cryptic and needs a deeper examination. Presumably there is also a deliberate misinterpretation involved as Erdődy picks up lines misheard on streets and in pubs... One reading the texts is inadvertently thinking of Jamer Kerr's art (https://www.collater.al/scorpion-dagger-gif-art/) as visualization.

In the climax of every text the classic Roman tradition of Epigramma, otherwise known as epitaph poetry takes over as a bitter – two-liner – gag, leaving room for readers to project their own narratives. An emotional gutt-punch as feelings bubble to the surface. A cunning form of sophistication in literature relateable to one liners or stichomyths, as eloquent epitomising sentenses in most prose-poems sound almost like made-up proverbs. In some cases the entire poem is built up to deliver the comedic final blow, with epigrammatic contexts as certain as the grave. Poems are vocative and rich in metaphores, some are as if being dialogues without stressing poetic apsects. Others are typical Germanisms, with very long and complex sentances. Applied sarcastic black humor hidden between lines we find in most poems. These sometimes become haunting due to the depth they represent making us feel that in certain phrases the hidden process of keeping the percistence of paranoia at bay becomes a real struggle. The stuff of nightmares, medieval sets with screaming or distopian worlds as if images shown by CCTV monitors would be the only truth left… this is ballanced out by a stoicist conscoiusness and slight hints towards the concept of eternal recurrence.
Even the shortest of texts is well constructed and powerful, almost vitriolic. Erdődy knows that names are powerful seals, thus he chooses titles mostly afterwards. Imaginative and real content is overlapping to amplify each other. Dysphemisms are also episodically appearing. Erdődy is an expert on központozás (punctuation) and also uses italized letters, cursive and big typography if stressing words outpacing this trend by a good 10 years. Pioneer act nr 1. Tranformation (verbal metamorphosis) as a speech act is strictly applied in his prose. These he only let hear a few times at festivals over the last one and half decades. The narrative voices in these works ready to envisage reality have multiple identities growing by the end into a combined effort of reflection and exposure of facts. Like glyphs, turning every sentense towards the final composition. Most narratives are surprisingly similar to 4th wall breaking, as if the author would comment on his own writing or the world around inspiring his words written down a minute ago. Many works reflect on The age of constant quoting, let it be covers of 20-30 year old songs, a scientific research building on previous hypothesises or easter eggs in movies and videogames quoting each other to the bitter end. Thus being aware of the global trend, intertextuality is only used in form of quotes (mostly just short expressions) as mottos under certain titles. The language Erdődy uses is complex and in his Hungarian writing heavily germanised (as mentioned above); meaning the circular, Baroque style lenght of sentances is sometimes painful to take in at first. To create a ballance, vowel harmony is emphesized by alliterations. In years 2004-2010, poems come out as both stories and narratives, biographic etudes and witnessed events filtered through wild imagination. Erdődy's poems from this period are called NEON POETRY since the inner city and even Kazinczy utca, Király utca and surrounding at the time were still full of neon signs: this is the area where he was taking most of his notes. These poems were mostly heard during his colourful poetry reading sessions held in numerous locations: Budapest Congress Center, A38, Szimpla Kertmozi, 6tus, Kis Szimpla, West Balkan, Trafó Bár Tangó, also in V. Bejáró, Oli's, Wichmann's, upstairs in Sirály, in Klub Vittula obviously, or in the big version of MÜSZI on Blaha Lujza tér. Because of his affinity for obediencey by the end of each and every one of his sessions every bell in the room has been rung. Ovation and laughter. Each interpretation is a unique work.
More: http://west-balkan.weebly.com/kisfaludy-utca-kis-wb.html / http://west-balkan.weebly.com/toumlrteacutenet--helyek.html

One of the most interesting shows must have been the one in Almássy téri Szabadidőközpont in 2008 – turning the cultural center of the VII. district into an orpheum using vast spaces, mainly the ground floor, the hall and the pool as part of the ambient. Erdődy got support from actress Viktoria Makra performing his poems in a swimming suit jumping into the water from time to time. The ritual included the audience chilling in the pool most likely wondering about the unorthodox performance, but playing along. Erdődy knew Makra from befriending Zéró Műhely around 2003/2004, a highly creative and innovative amateur theatre group – mixing movement theatre and dialogues –. Makra herself was co-organizing Legvidámabb Barakk, a festival for music, fine arts, theatre and performances like Kultúr-peepshow (naked dancing behind curtains where the audience can only look behind through holes cut with scissors). Makra having access to the building made the water-poetry evening easy to launch. Later on she became a director and the co-founder of Ledpuppets©. A repeated anniversary cooperation of her and Erdődy can be expected in the coming years. For example though: https://www.facebook.com/Ledpuppets/

Notes about ZéróMűhely:

http://szinhaz.hu/component/content/article/13-archivum/9796
http://www.port.hu/zero_muhely_szinhazi_tarsulat/pls/w/organization.organization_page?i_organization_id=45313&i_area_id=3
http://www.google.hu/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CDYQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kultura.hu%2Fszinhaz%2Fzero-muhely-uj&ei=bBCwVLfJCYvcywO46ILwAQ&usg=AFQjCNEWgpBfpR1bx_lOusUOs4DYpQDurw
http://terasz.hu/main.php?id=egyeb&page=cikk&cikk_id=9380

Erdődy is with every effort distancing himself from most contemporary actions in Hungary and is keen on preserving his timelessness. The approach to new fashionable habits copied among artists in Budapest he doesn't even react too as if just looking forwards, never turning around. The books he has written he also crafts the covers of. Titles of books in chronological order 2002-2019 (including printed, published online and contraband): ask management!

https://www.libri.hu/szerzok/erdody_kristof.html
https://www.ekonyv.hu/hu/szerzok?name=Erd%C5%91dy++Krist%C3%B3f

Interesting fact:
Üst (ISBN 9789638686466) published in 2006 has a rather intereting cover. The organic black striped secessionist motifs are an easter egg, a denote to Budapesti üdvözlet (ISBN 963-207-692-3) first printed in 1984, a local history book about the city with black and white photographs. This choice is deeply refferring to the period in which Endre Ady lived who's quotes Erdődy uses in the book (two quotes from the same author, but a decade apart). Very much intertwined and not part of any art history research eversince. It is clear indication to Erdődy's loyalty to the city, coating his poetry with the city itself.

Subchapter - Poems in German

Erdődy's poems written in German are partially independent works, partially translations from the ground material written in Hungarian. In both Umgangsprachliche Formulierungen are converted into philosophical thoughts. He is bombarding readers with lines like „Es bleibt der Muss-Kampf mit dem Unbesinnbarem”, or „ dort verbirgt ebenso die Tiefe die Ewigkeit”, or „ Erschrockene Heftlinge sitzten in älteren Schößen”, „Im Hintergrund ist die Stille lauter, als das Kindergeschrei”, „Die Gesellschaft nun auf allen Vieren, / beeilt sich sehr, zu salutieren:“, „Stadtmenschen. Verrostete Gelenker.“, „Keine Türen. Nur Geäst“, „in geschossenen Löchern: begraben die Gefallenen ihre unbewohnten Schatten.“. Other times it is poetry in classic style:

„Durch dichten Walde irrend,
lautlos ohne Richtung,
die Wege zeigt der Elend:
die heidnische Dichtung.“

„quängelnd liegt wie Gestein im trocknem
Flussbett: ein erbrochenes Herz.“

Much of the suggestiveness of these works are derived from the Hungarian logic behind sentenses becoming fullfilling through the tight organization of rythmic sounds not always common in German literature. Many poems show a connection with expressionist poetry from the early 20. century. Erdődy performs these at cultural meetings with other traslators, at festivals such as KlangKunstHöfe, or meet-ups with poesie fanatics and caffee house fundamentalists such as Wilhelm Droste or literature historian Gábor Mészáros. Later on he is a frequent guest of Harmadik Ember Fesztivál / Harmadik Ember Összművészeti Találkozó!

Article about the festival where Erdődy was reading poetry in German, held near Dresden in barns surrounded by blooming farmland in 2015:
http://www.dnn.de/Nachrichten/Kultur/Regional/Mistgabeln-und-Stimmgabeln-Dritte-Ausgabe-des-Festivals-KlangKunstHoefe-in-Baerwalde
http://www.dnn.de/Nachrichten/Kultur/Regional/KlangKunstHoefe-Baerwalde-oeffnen-am-Wochenende-unter-dem-Motto-Musik-Bilder-Landlust-ihre-Tore

Someone even wrote a parody of how late night drinking women and fans evaluate him:

Busen Brenner

Hoch gelobt ist dieser Budapester,
in Kellern und wo getrunken wird,
tanzen tut er nackt, er ist der Letzter!
Nach Mitternacht dann wie wild,
tobt er sich nochmal aus und wird begiert,
der Dichter der Banausen und sorfältigen Freaks!
Schau, der kommt von weiten - sagen sie -,
der Christoph aus Bonn der jeden Alcohol besiegt!
Ach komm, der ist doch garnicht ohne Stil,
überlass mir ihn, ich höre grad, wer vor ihm Glied
in Bett aus Bettzug voll enthült, gut saniert,
der hat es gut! Er saugt so stark, und küsst verliebt!
… Frauenfelder dicht!
So hab ih’s auch erfahren, sagt die andere und ergibt
sich der Verlägenheit. Da kommen mehr und wollen dienen,
die Kneipe am Morgen narkotisiert, benebelt und verwirrt,
sie schreien laut, die vorne, die hinten, alle schieben:
Er ist ein Intellektueller Busen Brenner!

Sie greifen nach seinen Stiel.

Translator and editor at work

Erdődy is also a serious translator and editor with a monk's self-dicipline (during the day at least). Not only working for publishers and magazines such as prae.hu, hunbook.de, mymusic.com or Argumentum, but for the Medical Science Museum, Archive and Library Semmelweis (Budapest) under director Benedek Varga. One of Erdődy's achievements was for example saving the institution last minute by translating the life's work of Ignácz Semmelweis (https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/150-todestag-von-ignaz-philipp-semmelweis-gynaekologe-und.932.de.html?dram:article_id=328121) from Hungarian into German for an exhibition project coordinated by Külügyminisztérium (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hungary) led to the opportunity of keeping in touch with the director even after Varga became head of the National Museum of Hungary. Erdődy was also editing and partially rewriting Melinda Sebők's groundbreaking biography “A Nyugat Árnyékában: Oszkár György pályája” (“In the Shadow of the West – The career of Oszkár György) ISBN 978-963-446-635-2, published in 2011. A book about one of the earliest pioneers of symbolist poetry in Hungary during the early XX. century, who in fact gave rise to the fashion of following french literary trends infecting those earning all the credits afterwards such as Endre Ady, Árpád Tóth and others. Very similar to how Erdődy is holding his finger on the pulse of multiple generations, Oszkár isalso ahead of his time. Outsider meets outsider century apart as Erdődy works himself through Oszkár's fascinating life story dedicated to support students instead of the popular at the time caffee house chit-chat attitude.

He has also worked on András Földvári's autobiography detailing the most travelled Hungarian of our times >>> Elmentem világgá! - 80 sztorival a Föld körül

Occasionally during these years Erdődy is translating texts for alls sorts of business companies, even Hungarian carpenter firms, which specialize in Hollywood set building such as the company of Gyula Fazekas who Erdődy encounters already before Fazekas is receiving commissions of sets like Marsian – starring Matt Daemon –. Occasionally Erdődy is hired to do translations for multinational companies. He has cooperated among others with Avnet / IBM / Mymusic.com / and several Budapest based museums and movie set design companies. Here he is flexing his abilities to have enough courage to finally approach Charles Bukowski's life's work and translate poems into Hungarian. During contests commissioned by foundations such as Árpád Göncz Alapítvány or lyrikline.org he is making efforts to introduce unknown authors or monographic texts unpublished in Hungary. For a 2009 competition he makes well crafted interpretations of poems by contemporary German authors such as Anja Utler, Daniel Falb, Jan Wagner and Lutz Seiler.

What about Bukowski?

From 2014/2015 Erdődy focuses more on the poems of Charles Bukowski – which unlike many of his novels – are rarely translated into Hungarian. Erdődy is therefore joining the ranks of local translators working with the material already such as Bajtai Zoltán Barangó, Balizs Dániel, Bozóky Balázs, Fehér Illés, Fenyvesi Ottó, Garai Péter, Sándor, Góz Adrienn, Gyukics Gábor, Hazai Attila, Holczer Dávid, N. Ulrich Katalin, Pritz Péter, Török Attila, among others. Erdődy's approach is simple, the sticks to the original tone. What can be referred as to being new is the choice of linguistic methods in the approach of the translations: contemporary Hungarian slang mixed with classic literature rythms close to the spoken language. Bukowski is adopted on stage in Hungary only by 2019 via the plays of Szegedi Nemzeti Színház (Szeged National Theatre, Hungary) with the title Vissza a feladónak! (detailed description here) and by Ódry Színpad, Budapest performing Charles Bukowski: A kezdő (details here). To look beyond the hideout in a bottle and to crack Bukowsi's code Erdődy first compares existing English and German translations. 50 Hungarian translations soon follow. In the 2018 April issue of Forrás Literary Magazin a few of these translations are finally published. In the same year the following work is accepted for a competition hosted by the Göncz Árpád Alapítvány (a foundation named after and following the cultural traditions and basic principles of the first independent President of modern Hungary from the post-regime era, otherwise known as Rendszerváltás of 1989/1991):

The Poet as Entertainer; An Excerpt From Joan Jobe Smith’s New Book,“Charles Bukowski_Epic GLOTTIS His Art & His Women (& me)”

Former ambassador András Gulyás, secretary of Göncz Árpád Foundation is meeting Erdődy to give him a tip as what to use in the Hungarian translation as title: Költő a Showbizniszben. Erdődy gladly accepts the offer only modifying the title a bit, which translates to his universe Gégelegendák: Az undor kiül a napfényre. Still the positive feedback is well deserved in times of neglectance and cultural bickering in Hungary controlled from above. Real barriers are to be faced: the gatekeeper attitude of small circles in a small country's small capitol; representatives of scenes counting a few hundred people each, all afraid of loosing their positions; a vassal system and it's customs causing blocks and not much circulation of new materials, and all sorts of other probelms, which were not self-imposed, hindered Erdődy for many years to publish anything. He is fighting a local version of New Formalism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Formalism) and a rigid canonization system only arriving to Hungary with an incredible delay! These challenging obstacles – like in case of underground culture in general – were only boosting his interest in coming forth debating those he called once: Homo Amusia. Procuring grief through dancing and talking about the dilemma instead of chocking on it is part of his temper. Although analythic and agressive by nature, bitterness within him is constantly replaced by passion! (érthetetlen megbocsátással meghurcolói és megalázói iránt) We can find evidence to that by checking out one of the mottos chosen for one of his poems. A János Pilinszky (1921-1981) quote from a black and white video-interview tape from many decades ago, where the old man sais:

„A görbe fa is felfelé nő.” (Even the bent tree is growing upwards)

(The mentioned above 70+ Bukowski translations in Hungarian are uploaded and available here on the webpage: https://kristoferdody.com/translations)

Work hard, party harder?

In Klub Vittula working on art and party till after sunrise go hand in hand all the way through the 2000s. Building on a tradition – a wave coming from the West – very few know about costumes are a must! Club 57 (57 St. Mark's Place in the East Village) – the party place of John Sex, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Ann Magnuson and others being art students – in New York is just one of many hotspots. We also have the Comrade Cuture of East-Berlin, the open air mascarades of Einstürzende Neubauten, or in the 1990s El Kazovskij's costume parties and Tamás Király fasion designer's shows. Finally the Budapest underground of 2005-2015, where Dr. Kiss Rita Panda is organizing all-night performances, mostly in Klub Vittula and surrounding neighbourhood. An unusually brilliant crowd of both locals and expats, art lovers and fine art students is following her lead! Erdődy is part of it and he has a camera with him already in 2007. Bands like Chaka Hacker are unifying the alternative scene of Budapest in the jazz ensemble (example: 2007 concert @ Sirály), as does Vittula for young fine artists, where Erdődy is present as a witness poet. Writing under the influence of a playhouse in full swing with sort-of-adults jumping around dressed as pickle jars, giant inner organs, cracked planets, even athlete ladies with Amazon curves being sqeezed into tiny clothes resembling a castle made of cards is everything but an everyday inpiration. In fact reworking some materials while picking up new topics simultaneously is nothing new to Erdődy eversince. Adding to this his befriending with Olga Nyári – who for 7 long years used to organize walks in the city dressed in costumes – is showing us how much creativity and free spirit there was in Budapest. The feeling of Vittula in it's early days is also captured through a 2014 exhibition opening speech of Paolo de Bartolomeo aka Sir Weirdo in Pizzica under the title „Ötletszökevények” uploaded on Youtube (filmed by László Grósz). Here Bartolomeo is giving us a clear vision of how he met Erdődy for the first time in 2006. Important to know is how the two became friends travelling together and having cooperations including Új Látásmód Fúzió, T. Bali, DJ Zephyr, Rómeó Veréb and Bartolomeo's partner Polly aka Kino Schwarz, a fascinating vamp character and talented film editor. Nightlife, even more so Vittula is Erdődy's black lagoon for a decade and a half to do his research – he calls „zavarosban halászás” – for his art and to make connections.

Essentially needed environs for this process and bars themselves he names „kapcsolódó infrastruktúra” (attachment infrastructure). He uses the atmosphere's catalysing properties. These venues are not hotspots for drinking, but become the full-of-inspiration-spaces to do work in. In these secluded spaces where he refers to drinking as „erős késztetés az öblítőfolyadékok iránt” and to booze as „a liquidek kimérése” (this title he also uses during a project with SzerediCs). Here he behaves as if in a day-room or club house. Many interesting characters visit him in these bunkers of cultural exchange every night.

List of Erdődy's favourite bars, which he interprets as városi tájház (museum of local history) and bar stools within as magasles (high-stands):

AUSTRIA: Zur Bunten Kuh • Barfly • FLUC WANNE • WERKZEUG AG
• Down Under • Wind & Mill • Café Monic • Einhorn • Kramladen (Wien)
GERMANY: Stoned (Leipzig), „Kneipen” along Plittersdorfer Strasse.
Chinese basement restaurant for diplomats on Mittelstraße 8, 53175 Bonn!
GEORGIA: ზიარი ბარი - Ziari Bar • Dingo Shed Bar (Kutaisi)
Mozaika • Chaba's Jazz Rock Café • დოგთაუნი - Dogtown • Red&Wine Grill
• THEY SAID BOOKS COFFEESHOP • L'ADO • Preludia bar (Tbilisi)
IRELAND: Ti Chairbre (Carberry's Pub), 11 North Strand, Drogheda, Ireland
HUNGARY: Fészek pince • Kultiplex • Klub Vittula • Wichmann • West Balkan • Centrál Pince
• Nana • Turiszt Büfé • Kétlyuku • Derby Büfé • Amigo bar • Mátra Borozó • Mr. Bobby
• Villány-Siklósi Borozó • Wine Stage • Fekete Gyöngy • Grease Monkey (Budapest)
Redrock (Kecskemét), Kulacs Borozó (Zebegény), Rommer-ház (Győr)
Katakomba (Eger), Green (Párkány-Sturovo, Slovakia)
ITALY: Taverna de Mercanti • Wine bar "Enoteca Ferrara” • Trinitiy College (Roma),
a cyclist bar on Via Massimo D'azeglio at lake Laggo Maggiore (Cannero)
BOSNIA I HERZEGOVINA: data lost •
ROMANIA: Spritz • Insomnia • Soviet (Cluj Napoca / Kolozsvár)
Old Man’s • Szentgyörgy Pince• Szimpla (Sfântu Gheorghe, Sepsiszentgyörgy)
Jungle • Kalapos (Székelyudvarhely)
and a little dusty pub in the center of town along the 109D road (Sic / Szék)
FRANCE: La Pleine Lune, 28 Rue du Faubourg Figuerolles (Montpellier)

Klub Vittula

https://www.offbeatbudapest.com/places/klub-vittula
https://welovebudapest.com/en/venue/klub-vittula-2/
http://klubvittula.blogspot.com/
https://deskgram.net/explore/tags/Vittula
https://deskgram.net/explore/tags/klubvittula
http://evaszombat.com/Trashy-for-Marie-Claire
https://kocsma.blog.hu/2010/04/09/klub_vittula_1
https://www.facebook.com/klubvittula/
https://www.offbeatbudapest.com/top10/best-local-bars-budapest/

Confined space. Unsocial social space. Try leaving in the morning. The bar legend Klub Vittula was estabished by Timothy Green coming to Budapest for the first time in 1992. He is moving from London to Hungary and in 2004 with the help of Balázs "Balu" Fazekas under Kertész utca 4. the pub is born! This neighborhood at the time was considered outskirts. Dark, without any sign of tourism. The first guest was back then 14 year old teenager András Borbíró – later becoming an actor – who accidentally found the hatch to be open. As he was walking down into the basement without further regret he became a frequent visitor for years. In the very beginning the non-alcoholic Tim himself was standing behind the counter receiving additional help from expats pooring in already forming the first generation with bartenders such as Szabolcs Jager, Patrik Gervan, Éva Schumy, Éva Laczko, Rita Kiss, Madelaine Damasdi and others like Robot Anna, Trixi, Petra and many more. Erdődy arrives in the 2nd year in April just after the Vittula Születésnap (birthday party) 13th of February and becomes a major contributor and very loyal customer. He and other regulars bring new guests, document the pub's intimate moments, organize events and even pay the delivery-bill sometimes if there isn't enough money in the casheer machine (which is to this day simply a plastic box). Vittula in the early days was housing artist gatherings, theatre gigs, exhibitions of course, and wasn't simply a dirty and smelly cellar with a legend. It also had painted frecos as decoration and less graffities or other vandalistic traits, to which Erdődy these days only refers to as „áttetsző melankólia” (transparent melancholy), since they have no coherent connection to guests or regulars themselves. The interior was marked by colourful curtains and burning candles in front of mirror-mosaiques.

Since opening Vittula in 2004 by refurbishing an old Gulyás Kifőzde (Stew Cantine) and clearing a bricked-in section of the once was coal-cellar, the bar is continuesly supporting subcultures and had not even 100 bartenders working there altogether (including employees active for 2 weeks or 7 years in a row). Erdődy joins by 2006 and is spending time drinking through four UK prime minister cycles (Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May), remembering the Gordon Brown period to be best as during expat meet-ups they were singing the song Golden Brown (originally referring to heroin) by The Stranglers with the PM's name.

The second generation led for 7 years by Ákos Petrovits and Sorin Pop is referred to as the classic era with Balázs Kontár and Rita Balla also behind the bar joined by Ádám Darvas (lead man of Pozvakowski) or random bartenders such as Joja or Katalin Verebics. Accoustic music is performed in abundant fashion. Still using CDs marks the era. From roustic laptops and flipping vinyls they play 90s hits or synth pop, new wave, dark wave, indie, and post-punk. Occasional rockabilly, noise rock, surf rock and heavy metal nights – depending on who is standing behind the bar – are possible to get a glimps of as well. Regulars are washing dishes, behaving like cabin crew, almost as if Vittula stakeholders. They receive their own hooks with their names underneath in the back to hang their jackets and secure their belongings. A period of collective life in bars. It's also the era of indoors smoking, up to an extent that from meters away one cannot see each other. Some choking on smoke the moment they enter the bar only to turn around rightaway to look for somebody trustworthy on the outside who might take a message back to the bar staff to ventilate for a change as long as new visitors unable or unwilling to adapt to the situation are taking a peek. Stuffiness and erotic gestures are all over the place. The gallery space nextdoor connected by a basement corridor serves one purpose: foster cultural activities both locally and abroad representing mid-career and emerging artists who are often traced by various art agents discovering young painters! The gallery is called Chinese Characters Contemporary Art Space. The pub and the gallery are housing many combo events, giving a chance for artists to congregate. Vittula at the time can be identified as the Mudd Club of Budapest.
Pop and Erdődy launch the first summer edition of Vittula by 2008 staying open also in June, July and August (8 P.M. to 4 A.M. as usual) attracting people with the slogen: „Tired of sun, sand & hot bikins? Vittulize your summer! Get your healthy share of smoke, cheap drinks & loud good music even in summer. SAME PLACE, SAME PEOPLE, SAME PRICES.” Performers at the summer opening were I.O.N. (Irrational Orthodox Noise) and Dj sets by Akasha and Gelka.

The 3-5 years under Dániel Török (musician – Pedig, Simicska és a Gecik – turned brewer) and Vica Fekete (drummer and photographer working now at Lomography, a photo lab and shop) supported by Éva Kalmár-Nagy, later Hajdu Andor, Rozsi and Solya. This era is the most organized on paper, but also the most violent to live through. With stoner rock, heavy metal parties, also bar fights, very drunk folks, many music video shootings, a cochroach infestation, and celebrities penetrating the thick underground membrane of Budapest through Vittula (such as Oscar-prize winner Jennifer Lawrence hanging out downstairs on numerous occasions). Regulars are forbidden to take their luggage in the back and most often cannot offer assistance to the crew. The first generation of expat regulars drops out and a younger crowd is taking over. Erdődy's motto (borrowed from Franz Schäfer, an East Berliner model in the 1980s – now tattoo artist – who was the first man inpersonating a woman on German television; also founding member of the Comrade Couture movement) for many years is „The Tiger in the cage is wilder as the one living free” (from Der Tiger im Käfig ist wilder als der im Freien). It changes as the attitude of staff in Vittula is giving him a hard time. It results in the sentence: „Előtted is itt voltam, és utánad is itt leszek” (I was here before you and will be here after you). In some aspects almost a Susy Quattro „Get out of my way cause I'm here to stay” approach. Erdődy is definitely one of the wild ones. But by the end of this period even he is dropping out and not following up events in the club so much as before due to the constant drill and attitude problems becoming fears. By 2017 Tamás Velociraptor Horváth (in short Tamás Raptor) and friends launch the campaign Make Vittula Great again, an event series promoting the venue in it's habitual role as an open social space with family atmosphere, even giving away hats and pins to spread the message in town.

The latest crew consiting of Rebekka Róth, Dániel Rezi and Wang Dániel Xu are said to be a more oldschool approach with less limitations, more improvisation, a more mixed croud, very liberal and foremost allowing no age-group-segregation. Former first generation expats already in their prime are returning, conflicts are rare. New bartenders Balázs and Edina join. As a center for micro-subcultures ran by the 5th generation of management from 2017 onwards, Vittula regained it's former popularity having political and gender oriented parties as well as live music. Occasional other performances and last minute bookings are welcome; audiences can enjoy shows multiple times a week. By 2018 Vittula get's noticably more leaned back. Regulars are washing glasses again and in some cases have even access to the backstage part of the pub. Organizing private events are a rarity, but certain exceptions such as Vittula Karácsony (Christmas Meeting of regulars with gifts, a Christmas tree, drinks on the house, etc.) can be mentioned. By 2018 journalists from both Keretblog and Index refer to Vittula as one of the most influential underground bars currently. The Tuesday Jazz Night run by Endre „Dix” Bölöni (a Transylvanian gentleman having 8000 records to present on weekly basis) is well known in town and attracts many who shy away from the touristic bonanza and stag party rampage with raving idiots held from Monday to Saturday, from March till December on the other end of the Jewish Quarter. These by the 100 thousands are letting their destructive impulses loose. Vintage, upcycling and contemporary fashion as decortation joins the parade besides...

On 10th January 2019 Vittula launches it's plastic recup campaign led by Wang Xu and Tamás Raptor (making the graphic design) who are decorating the pre-ordered new items with slogens, sentences and details of graffities found in the pub mostly downstairs near the counter or in a subsection further downstairs next to or in the toilet compartement. After this month same old problems occour, a certain sense of boss-feel especially due to Wang Dániel Xu trying to kick Erdődy out of his own exhibition attracting 500-600 guests (simply illogical). The tention rises to the point where Wang Xu turns the situation into a long-drawn-out soap opera cliché, not serving Erdődy, overplaying the role of thinking he is Klub Vittula after a few months... stand-ins are also appearing again, while Rebeka Róth is most supportive of the old school agenda... Erdődy could again draw the conclusion to wait till others take over the bar (generation 5), leaving his place of inspiration on the look-out for other interesting and new venues... returning form time to time to check on the place.

By now as part of the inner city with gentrification catching up along the körút (Ring of Budapest) Vittula is getting centered closer and closer to the black heart of alcohol tourism and relatable zones. Nonethelss it still is a great contrast to gentrification – spreading across the inner city creating a homogenic environment, a backwater, a non-entity, where locals become service labour for the entertainment industry, while foreigners run wild, vandalize and party from March till October year after year –. The city is soon caught in a dellusional state combined with a gold panic, the chance of easy money through tourism. Budapest get's deceived. This change was looming on the horizon already when the first infamous ruin pubs opened as early as 2003 / 2004 - name is simple: affordable bars filled with cheap throw-away furniture. They were opened in ruin buidlings (no concept art, no big deal), which in 10 years end up in the hands of people building a theme. Rebellious becomes contemporary and meaningless. Still Vittula - from 2004 - is never frozen in time, on the contrarary, it's reinventing itself with every generation. It's name is borrowed from the Scandinavian pop cult epic called Popularmusik fran Vittula both published in book format and covered on film. The book was written by Swedish author Mika Niemi. The name Vittula is attracting many Scandinavians to this day, especially Finns who to please their curosity are in great numbers checking out what sort hidious place could hide behind a name meaning in their own mother tongue „land of cunts”. Pictures of the pub can be easiest checked out on social media accounts facebook / Klub Vittula, instagram / Klub.Vittula, instagram / lacerda.photo or Keretblog, and through Vica Fekete's uploads on various media.

Erdődy over the span of 13 years had altogether 4 exhibitions – group and solo – in the space next to the pub – also owned by Timmy Green –. It was named Chinese Characters Contemporary Art Space, later Omniwore Gallery, Keretblog Office, and finally as it is relaunched as exhibition space: Vittula Gallery. Erdődy and Leroy Drevdal surprise Budapest with their retrospective photography exhibition titled Notorious Reflexes on 19th January 2019 with 600 attendees. The event – written about by many newsfeeds – attracts huge crowds of young artists and loud fun-seekers who are greeted with a performance, a flown in curator (Helena Krupin), a speech by visual artist Martha Kicsiny, two concerts (The Keeymen, Panel Surfers) and a wild party lasting till into the morning. Video of the exhibition opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrdVI0XznOk
(Second edition is planned to launch May 2020...)

Erdődy owns the domain klubvittula.com. Not that he has a horse in this race...

EXTRA /// Notable parties Erdődy recalls in a short interview aired live by pirate postcast bloggers.

Quote: [[ The Suicide Cow concerts by Tim – owner of Vittula – and his punk gang were great! Furtheromre the Pluto concerts! (the band that put Vittula's entrance on their album cover) The Elegant Looser Parties, same years. I.O.N. (Irrational Orthodox Noise). Sárgaföld Fesztivál 2008! Küss Mich nights: Italodisco, New Wave, and such stricktly from vinyl. Frou da Lou! The yearly 2 maybe 3 cooking sessions by Jean-Baptiste „JB” Dusseau, Yan-Eryl Mer and Joel Larson in 2009-2010 – definitely. Imagine DJ-ing, cooking and serving food at the same time in the middle of the bar where people are dancing around you with plates in their hands. There were also „You married this?” parties! And „Get your sister drunk” evenings. Same organizers. What a mess. There were a lot more. Let me think. THISTY THURSDAY - A night of Drum and bass. SOUTH BROOKLYN TECHNO. Spring Break Fairies.Ballrom Freak-out. BarkBarkDisco. Gothic Halloween. TV personality and Star Trek fan Todd G. Williams doing his drum n bass thing as Q the physicist in a biohazard suit, sometimes accompanied by William Brown. CSAJOK A SZETTEN (Sosa+Vikics+Zsanna). Zsivänybeats. Nitebus – Pornotronic DJ Set.Panda Varieté! - the big performance evenings like The Legend of Hungarian Hair (Szőrmagyar) or Szívem Panda. 80er Jahre Deutsche Party. ExYUSphere. Halloweens and other sexy costume parties with Anita Horányi and Rebel Berggren. Boobs everywhere… Pozvakowski concerts, voll geil! Doctor Tremolo. Gelka dropping by to play some music. Indian food by Charles „Karcsi” from Sri Lanka and Coal Kerr – a punk porn actor and regular –: First Budapest Bhangra Party. The Darvas Testvérek concerts (Krisztián és Kristóf). Unami Coastjack. El Charro de Jalisco is back.Presszó Tangó Libidó! Stereo Cute. BEASTIE BEATS. The Fall Marathon (there were at least 3). The Deerman vs The Squalorist. Sorin & Diorder. EXUSE ME WHILE I DRINK MYSELF TO DEATH. Straigh By Day Gay By Night – a long series of gender oriented evenings, gay parties basically. INTL WOMAN'S DAY AFTER PARTY. TITS vs PUGS. Barcsay Jenő Emlékzenekar Vittula Unplugged. Oktober(mini)Fest. VIVA ROSA DELUXE. Write like Bukowski by PILVAX MAGAZINE run by Matt Ellis. Cimbik a szetten. Dropjoy. Technoir. Vittula Farsang (every year). Rakéta Fesztivál (for a while). There was also DJ Teachers!, two female highschool teachers bringing their students to DJ together or for them. GÉPNARANCS DVA (dancing and drinking according to customs in Clockwork Orange, Kubrick's movie). Sonic Ray DJ sets followed by Full Sonic Ray (just crazy). Dutch hardcore and German Industrial themes on weekends. The Simicska és a Gecik concerts! Psychogalore (Ex-Gumipop). FUTURE F#CK. Luxy party and Wifon leves tombola! The Keeymen and Panels Surfers surf rock combo concerts! ALPÁRÉ of course. And NEMZETI ITALBOLT buli! The always mentioned legendary Beach Party with everybody in bikinis and speedos and baby pools in 2008… with sand, it's true. It was part of Sárgaföld Fesztivál we talked about already – 22nd (Friday) and 23rd (Saturday) of February; having the motto „Arcem facere e cloaca” and bands playing like Alásszolgája, Pluto, Suicide Cow, Sorin Pop-Tee Green (22nd) and with Keszei Jana, Bognár sisters, Starke Kerze, Barcsay Jenő Emlékzenekar and Jubileumi Pandabál (supported by Pilvax Magazine and City Gyros Nr. 1.)!!! The Keeymen concert, later The Keeymen & Panel Surfers. The many exhibition openings in the gallery nextdoor as part of Vittula. It got renamed a few times, CHINESE CHARACTERS CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE, OMNIWORE GALLERY, KERETBLOG IRODA, whatever. Now it serves table tennis and other recreational purposes as a lounge area. But shows are planned to take over the space again. There'll be more I'm sure. A catchy name is missing. In-house Gallery. Or this: Phyllotreta Vittula. Anything. But strange. ]]

Looking back on the history of this dive bar full of extravaganza, one might best recall the short article published on budapesttimes-archiv.bzt.hu (15. February 2014) by J. Arthur White:

"Vittula

With a Finnish name whose translation we can’t print, Vittula is a tiny punk bar that feels rough around the edges. The first time we visited there was a guy passed out on the bar for more than an hour. Though it has seen more and more tourists as word carries around, the place still feels secret and authentic. The walls are painted with Japanese frescoes and plastered with obscure band stickers, while the back room and the toilets are filled with graffiti. The Clash and other punk-rock classics play over speakers but not loud enough to drown out conversation. Packed full on weekends, Vittula is more intimate on weeknights or the early evening. This little dive at Kertész utca 4 is a great stepping-stone during a night on the town."

From unusual student to cameo hijacker

As a result of being excepted by ELTE University (Universitas Budapestinensis de Rolando Eötvös Nominata, est. 1635) for comperative linguistics Erdődy witnesses the campus building on Ajtósi Dürer sor in it's 4th incarnation. After being a cloister, an orphanage, and Communist Headquarters, the university period is next. In this tmie Erdődy meets and befriends Wilhelm Droste (teaching at the uinversity and parallel) running the cozy little establishment called Dürer café downstairs (Droste will later open places like Eckermann, Hadik, Három Holló, while his first café will turn into Dürer Kert, a massive company only using the original name). By 2006-2007 the building is undergoing changes again in regards to function. Although planned to, but blocked by local political interests to get transformed into the largest artist center of Europe. It is another lost chance, with 5 buildings virtually at very special Hungarian artist's disposal (a church, a disco, a highrise, a congress center, and even a pool area where dictators were doing their daily excersie). It would have made a great impression on the international scene, but as it turns out latest by 2018, the entire complex was already a debate of changing owners for a decade, ending up being bought up by the very political elite who's power it was supposed to compensate with art and promoting free speech. It's top 2 floors still became an underground artist community splitting into R33 – only studios – and Keleti Blokk – more a communa. With 500 bands having had practiced there over the span of 10-11 years it's obvious that Erdődy would know the people very well being part of the cultural club. Between 2007 and 2016 "Keleti" / "Blokk" is run by a cultural association (Leo's Keleti Blokk Művészeti Egyesület) offering living quarters to a few and space on 2x1500 sqm. Rooms for rehersal, sound engineering and arts in general. Erdődy is present from early on an is documenting rooms, gatherings and sepcial events like „szőnyeg koncertek”, when the community is bonding! He has met and photographed bands (in their most intimate moments) like Képzelt Város, Sonar, Néhai Bárány, I.O.N., Bozo, Senkicsodák, Phineas Gage, fuzzkeyone, Marzipan B, Ore, Verőköltő, Lucretia Protellor, Padkarosda, Kamikaze Scotsmen, Mr. Hopwood, Drone Travolta, Suprauniverzum. In Klub Vittula and here he is befriending composer T. Bali (Balázs Temesvári) – becoming neighbours in the center they also perform together occasinonally. T. Bali is also a special part of some of Erdődy's exhibition openings in later years to come. The two have a greeting „T.I.S.Z.T.”: short for türelem, igazság, sugallat, zene, és tisztelet.

Taking a huge number of pictures has a continuity outside the underground hub and is dating back to 2002-2004. To follow where only bands can go throughout the span of 15 years can be considered more than a hobby. Some of the photos are lost due to break-ins, jelous girlfriends, or because some computers and laptops broke down. Erdődy has made contact with groups like Anima Sound System, Guano Apes, Másfél, Hiperkarma, Apocalyptica, Le Biscuit, Demonlord, Cadaveres de Tortugas, Besh o Drom, Suzanne Vega, Pop Ivan, Vlado & Smica, M.É.Z (Meg nem Értett Zenekar), Psychomutánsok, Barber Bishop, Bence Gazda, Parno Graszt, Cabaret Medrano, Tibi Kiss, Chackra Hacker, Ripoff Raskolnikov, Mónika Micura, Dr. Máriás / Tudósok, Frenk, Szakcsi-Lakatos, Korai Öröm, Didier Arno, PLUTO, Santa Diver, Egri János, David Jengibarian, CPG, Pozvakowski, Ian Siegal, Lyuhász Lyácint Bt., Gelka, János Bujdosó, Barcsay Jenő Emlékzenekar, Ádám Czitrom, Sonny and the Wild Cows, DJ PicÚr, Gentry Sultan, Los Orangutanes, The Cannibal Mosquitos, I.O.N. (Irrational Orthodox Noise), Grencsó Kollektíva, Zsuzsi Ujj, Balaton Zenekar, Sir Weirdo, Levitations, DJ Zephyr, Makrohang, Fatime Songoro, Kraak, Sör és Fű, The Grand Mexican Warlock, Tamás Kettős, Búcsúkoncert Zenekar, Krisztián Keszei, Erik Novák, Pedig, Yellow, Yü, Péter Kőnigh, Best Bad Trip, Mihály Dresch, Volkova Sisters, morningdeer, Punch, Mayberian Sanskülotts, Agavoid, Döbbenet, Csaknekedkislány, Christopher Waver, The Keeymen, Halálorgazmus, Surf Truckers, Middlemist Red, Fran Palermo, Veszélyes Faszfej, Gustave Tiger, Dope Calypso, Buzi Kisfiúk, Puma Danger, Fat & Cute, Cataflamingo, Panel Surfers, Rosinflux, The Nobody Elses, Babra, Black Bartók, Flash Zenekar, Yellow Spots, Henry Gonzo, God & Monkey, Dupla Eutanázia, Duckshell, Sauropoda, Flanger Kids, Fekete Ügy, 21 Vek (Skopje, Macedonia), AdHd, RNR Csoport, Csángálló, Kinetic Erotic and Deus Ex Quartett or another fresh jazz trios called Less is More and Turul Blast. Bands by the hundreds and piling up 600.000 photographs not including all the vidoes he is making in secret besides. Venues like Kultiplex, MÜSZI, Gólya, Toldi Mozi and Klub Vittula DJ sets were high on the list during the project. Küss Mich, New Wave-szerűség, or Grufti parties, even sets by Vera Vida, who became a founder of Kolorádó Fesztivál and Mindspace, a cultural organization active in a certain area of VIII. district called Csarnok-negyed, which as part of 3 sections of the district - Palotanegyed, Belső & Külső Józsefváros - used to be a "keményebb környék" (rough neighbourhood). Everything till a short while before tourism, gentrification and Hollywood Studios arrive to Budapest. He obviously knows these, but people, the public at large stayed truly unaware of where it could be found till most were already closed. Erdődy is also photographing and filming independent or isolated artist groups and workshops such as ATNU forge, MAMÜ, MMG, and FKSE and the above mentioned partner institution of Keleti Blokk, in short R33. Founder Leó Menyhárt. György Pálfi's illegal screenings of FINAL CUT. Szirtes filmklub. Miklós Barcs on a film set. Tibor Legát at a secret house party. Mark Richard's horticultural project set up around Klauzál tér in the very heart of Budapest. Tamás Menyhárt's exhibitions and performances in squatted flats. László Garaczi as he is sitting in his favourite leather sofa in front of his bookshelf watching his guests at his annual halloween party. Mihály Víg playing in Hunnia Bistro. Names running cultural entrprises like Wilhelm Droste, Greilich ”Gülü” Attila, Ákos Bánki, Erlich Gábor ”Gül”, Bódis testvérek or bar owners like Boci, Gyurma, Judit Gyüre, Hans Van Vliet, Oran, etc. are also on his photos. Extreme and bizarr characters are walking along his viewfinder every day! Gábor Mészáros, literature historian who get's excitement attacks in bars writing and dropping himself on furniture from mid-air at the same time. Holy Olga, artist and local queen of exhibitionism. Beata Pozitiva, radio show freak. Pneuma Csoport Erdődy encounters through Sarah de Günther (activist, organizer, performer) and is filming their flashmobs and performances on squares and basements, such as during Pincess Forradalom on the elections of April 2018. Lajos Végh sand animator in his home. Tamás Király fashion designer at his house parties and in private about whom Erdődy has written a poem (check and find here). Ármin Major painter as bartender and local character in the Jewish Quarter after sunset. The RNR Csoport, techno Djs and noise specialists like Lavor, Márton Peti and others, surfacing in the mid 1990s organizing gigs to this day aren't exceptions either. The Tiszkaécskei művésztelep (Art camp of Tiszakécske) or members of Novákfalvai művésztelep (Art Camp Novákfalva) and Élesdi művésztelep (Élesd Art Camp), TAKT – Temerini Alkotóműhely és Képzőművészeti Tábor (Art camp in Voivodina, Serbia), and Magyar Mozgó Képtár (Hungarian Moving Gallery). Painters and other fine artists like László Lakner, Róka Csaba Kis, Tamás Fuchs, Gábor Szerdi, Tatlin, Kim Corbisier, József Pinczés, Ludovic Thiriez, György Jovián, Vera Romhányi, József Csató, Katalin Verebics, Roland Horváth, József Szurcsik, HorrorPista, Gyula Terebesi, Ábel Szabó, István Felsmann, Levente Herman, István „Édeske” Haraszty, Patrícia Kaliczka, József Baksai, Imre Szakszon, Károly Klimó, Lehel Kovács, Csongor Szigeti, Ottó Szabó, Ágnes Verebics, Levente Baranyai, István Nádler and Erika Szurcsik. Prominent, unique or very special galleries of Budapest and surroundings like Dorottya, Liget, K.A.S., Kieselbach, Várfok, Next-Art, acb, Bartók 32, Inda, Deák Erika, B1, kArton, Viltin, Hegyvidék Galéria, Művészet Malom, Újlipótvárosi Galéria, Mucius, Hegyvidék Galéria - Barabás Villa, Resident Art, Deák 17 Gyermek és Ifjúsági Művészeti Galéria, PUCCS Gallery, BRFK Galéria, and Budapest (which lately opened in a private residential double-decker apartment upstairs on Klauzál tér 2 with access to a massive rooftop terrace) among many many others. Szirtes filmklub. Concerts in Műcsarnok pince. Drunken Tailor on Népszínház utca. Events of Petőfi Irodalmi Múzeum (Literature Musem Petőfi), which he attends occasionally for 30 years. People from theatres such as Kaukázusi Krétakör, Szkéné, Studio-K, Maladype, Jurányi ház (with the establishments themselves sometimes, especially the buffets and bars), the works of Csaba Formanek and Syporcha Whandal. Hidden flat theatres within Hungary are also somewhere in his vast collection. The Trapdoor Theatre from Chicago (United States). Places like Kramlaaden, FLUC, WERKZEUG, Barfly, Fledermaus Cabaret in Wien, Austria. Not to mention the numerous bars with live music in Budapest. The origins are still unclear, but can be pointed out. Mostly probably the Irish step dance formation of Ronan Morgan is one of Erdődy's first projects besides certainly documenting junkies of Városmajor as contrast with the first HVG (Heti Világ Gazdaság) bar's regluars on Sziget Fesztivál (here also Postalálka and Magic Mirror backstage) in years 2000-2001-2002. The old pubs of Lágymányos area on the Buda side of Budapest even earlier. He is digging for hidden layers...

Binomial Contrasts...

Dressing up in summer and running around in a T-shirt in winter? The only fitting itinerancy escort person able to withstand extreme temperature ups and downs in Hungary (a landlocked area having it's own microclimate) and to teach simultaneously for months as part of a mobile school project turns out after a casting in 2007 to be Erdődy. He is a natural born travelling man on the road for 3 ½ years with a mobile school itinerant teaching tens of thousands of unpriviledged children all over rural Hungary and the Carpathian basin. While setting a good pace, they visit many remote locations approaching pupils teaching in a group or one on one. Not only between March and September but during freezing cold days for weeks without a break they roam the land. According to statistics Erdődy has been travelling 15.000 km on yearly average. The mobile school was on the move in mild weather and also in chilly -15 to -20 Celsius. Relocating, teaching, relocating. There were a few occasions where the crew had to sleep on board while the equipment froze solid or before having proper GPS improvisative methods were a necessity to find their way in unknown territory (Serbia, Romania, Slovakia) through dens forest country or parts of the still-under-construction road nextwork of Eastern Europe. Visiting Hungarian minorities was high on their list. This succesful project bringing innovative and interactive new ways of education for free to the countryside was finally relaunched 10 years later in 2017. This time involving the Nemzetőrség (Hungarian National Guard) and a special ”buck sergeant” or lieutenant (hadnagy rank in Hungarian) assisting the journey. Erdődy is performing the role of art envoy and official liason with the natives. Erdődy welcomes any opportunity to bring culture to the uncorrupted. This particular cross country journery lasted from early 2017 till October 2018.

Arriving back home and being let loose the responsible pedagogy and history buff Erdődy turns into the corner stone of late night rituals, a center figure of performances and dancing in basements taken over by punk gangs, packs of drunks and other hedonists. He is best operative on the following days not having a hangover and likes to repeat this carneval, the transformative art – he calls it Lusttriebe Manifestum – so much he doesn't quit for about 8 to 10 years. This is when he is writing most of his books. By straight-on denying to be a weekend party person with his extreme practice of celebrating, he is easily accepted by the youth freshly moving to Budapest. They are exactly who he desires so much to document while intermingling… this project he names simply: MORBID A KOLBID - La tua salsiccia è tenebrosa.

...and Cowboy Dracula™

Rumoured to have inherited the legacy of an ancient Transylvanian bloodline his name is often questioned (not this one!). Due to the early childhood experience of exposure to Americanism he is sometimes dressing as a cowboy or speaking in fluent English with expats able to switch to other languages making him a suspicious phenomenon for everday Eastern Europeans. Erdődy is an intense presence synthesising different styles and symbols. A count undercover people ask? More often a life size comic book figure wearing the mantle of somebody having an obsessive urge of pioneering new experiences and expressing them in an explicit fashion. Stepping out of the pages of William Gibson's Neuromancer, resembling Frank Miller's graphic novel Hard Boiled, or a Moebius creation or a CALUM ALEXANDER WATT impression, an Enki Bilal trooper, a freak from Empire of a Thousand Planets, a strange but helpful to the plot creature out of a B.P.R.D. story, perhaps a character from the famous Fallout anthology or Borderlands the videogame.

Let's distance ourselves more and more from normal street folk for a moment for whom a character out of a Vertigo comic strip – strange, revelatory, shocking and always stimulating the universe outside him – will be too much to take in. Nasty habits? The Preacher infected my a reneissance man. If so extreme: How come the rich and famous and the marginalized are both present at Erdődy's private parties? Events full of joy and a taste for theatrics. Biyearly Erdődy is cooking 5 types of dishes, inviting underground Djs, ordering Pálinka from the Ambrus distillery in Oroszhegy (Transylvania) – a highly dedicated family passing on the craft of making traditional Hungarian Schnaps for many generations earning countless prices – and is even serving tobacco in bowls to those in need of such minor tokens. These are international meet-ups around his portico with quality wine from Hungary, products of the Bock pincészet (fav. Porta Géza) and Törökvér pincészet (fav. Merlot) both from Villány region, also introducing Halmosi pincészet and Tóth pincészet from the Szekszárd region. Occasionally serving also Nero D'Avola from Sicily is part of surprises as guests are getting hold of sumptuous costumes evolving into a mixed crowd with even Hollywood presence. The attendance is heavily weighted in the female variety ending up in dancing and an afterparty at one of Erdődy's favourite underground clubs. It's all a wild ride and a long history of interesting outfits! From the perspective of attendees such events are a seal of approval.

Bars of Budapest in the late 90s and around the year 2000

Bars of Budapest around the year 2000 are hole in the wall type of establishments. Wall-to-wall wood paneling (lamberia) or bunker atmosphere, a house just before falling apart, perhaps something in the basement taken over each night by young local artists and students. Worker class beer..."Bottom-shelf" wine selection. Nothing posh, not even on the horizon. Ruin bars only later. More so chilly streets without lights dowtown. No nightbuses (the outrageously good access to public transportation was only available till 22:00 / 10 PM). Run down, crumbling buildings. And very very few tourists. Total silence on not only buses, but metros (Russian name of Budapest subways) - dead faces, ice cold atmosphere, nobody talking or looking at the other, most often sleeping or daydreaming... Besides parties in broken warehouses, forgotten bunkers, or on top of abandoned locator hills for the military, one can easily find psychedelic forest gatherings (Frank-hegy, Normafa, etc.) as part of the routine during this era. In some palaces there are experiments to win back space for alternative culture; Büfé Puskás Andrea for example is holding out with her club TÜTÜ Tangó in Drechsler Palota till 2001 – nowadays turning W Hotel after a long period of being abandoned for no reason whatsoever –). Inside the city located far from each other: old little shady bars dominate the landscape. A city not full of graffities, not at all. Signs of life only behind heavy doors. Budapest after sunset with mystical properties of it's own...

Article excerption: " Egy városszéli, tömegközlekedéstől – és egyáltalán, mindentől – távoli helyen, lényegében egy sóderbánya mögött megbúvó tisztáson lett megálmodva a városban egyre szaporodó, a csillogásra és a trendekre fókuszáló helyek karikatúrája, bízva abban, hogy az itt kínált szabadság és nyugalom, a természet közelsége és az egész vállalkozás ösztönössége megtalálja majd a közönségét. Hangsúlyozandó, hogy mindebben nem volt semmiféle koncepció, direkt hátat fordítás a fehér bőrfoteleknek és a csokornyakkendős kidobóembereknek, egyszerűen az adottságok, a jó ízlés és a pénztelenség kombinációja szülte meg a helyet ilyennek. " - http://west-balkan.weebly.com/kopaszi-gaacutet.html

The TimeOut Guide Budapest by Penguine Books (first published 1996) writes about Tej Bár for example:

„Open 6am-4am daily. No credit cards. No English spoken.
The name translates as milk bar, but that means nothing. A good spot to push your night too far. Funky, run-down place where you may have to wake up the barman to get service, but he doesn't seem to mind. Sometimes he forgets to close up and it becomes a 24-hour joint.”

This is the Budapest Erdődy is indoctrinated by. A leaned back location, a special auditorium. Street musician playing his saxophone at 3 AM in the morning while couples are dancing in the underpass? People arriving to agreed dates? Teenagers casually drinking in front bars without being harrased by bouncers (if there were a few, they weren't beating)... no dealers on the streets, children are allowed to have strolls at this time of the day (and aren't runaways unlike these days). Children stay children, people call cabs for others in need, dancing on the way home without shouting is on the menu. Add to that many types of experiences from legendary or remarkably rich in culture venues like Sixtus, Nincs Pardon, Freeport Music Club, Toldi Stúdió Mozi (late night), Szent Jupát, Marxim, Wichmann, Macskajaj, Sakáltanya, Panic Pub, Darshan Udvar, Libella, V. Bejáró, Hasbeszélő, Katapult, Vera Jazz Café, the first Ellátó on Klauzál tér and dozens of little bars from Communism still around.

This environment and an incredible amount of underground activity pulls Erdődy as a young adult in… He is inevitably drawn to the many crazy characters (one himself) and socializes not only among fellow students, but a strange mix of burned out counterculture artists, socialist proletar leftover groups after Russia withdrew from Hungary in 1990 / 1991 – basically unemlpoyed workerclass alcoholics; most of them divorced, out of prison, or simply vegetating –. It's a school of life! Around Moszkva tér and Móricz Zsigmond körtér Erdődy finds pubs to endorse: Marxim, Kétlyuku, to the south Mozaikos, Black dog, Libella, and his favourite at the time near the corner of Bercsényi utca / Karinthy Frigyes út he simply calls „Kaiser” – after the logo outside –. Here they had strickt rules, especially regarding the separation of skinheads and rockers; long hair on Friday, bald-heads on Saturday, and no mixing! The other interesting pattern is, that old folks kick youngsters after one drink out, stating they should become like them. Erdődy recalls this saying: „You had to find bars where they served you, come up with a route to connect these places, so you can have one beer at each before everything closes. We were kids. But we went around the system. A system, which actually was right and wanted only to protect us from ourselves!” In such basements as well as with the homeless and youngsters of Moszkva tér he has a close connection.

The TimeOut Guide Budapest by Penguine Books (first published 1996) writes about the square where Erdődy was getting himself accustumed to Hungarian reality (recently reinstituted to pre-Communism name Széll Kálmán tér):

„ Ugly, dilapidated and bustling with lowlife – Moszkva tér”

Here, as given in his life interview to Ilona Varga, Erdődy receives a quite different schooling as from the one he is reideologized by after Germany. The at the time state school system is astonishing! A Communist version of Kuno von Klebersberg's 1922 structure Erdődy is the last generation to be lectured by. Classes they attend:

- All World History from Ancient times (Sumerians, Hettits, Persians, India, China, Greeks, Romans, etc.) till Atomic Bomb...
- ... parallel they study Hungarian history (896-1989)...
- ... same goes for Geography: all countries, topoghraphy of theirs, rivers, mountains, demography, produce, livestock, minerals, industrial complexes, etc.
- Latin
- multiple other languages (French, German and English to choose from)
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Singing and musicology = solfeggio (szolfézs in Hungarian)
- sports and disciplin
!!!
This is just ground school (age 6 to 14) and is repeated with more delicacy, more details (names, date of mainly important historic events with year-month-day) in high school. The system under Russian influence is somewhat militaristic, yet has all the lexical requirements the Kleberberg institution demanded. Erdődy reaches a sub-level similar to Magister in medival times. On Moszkva tér meanwhile after lessons Erdődy is mingling with the homeless. His girlfriend at the time accompanies him. They bring food to present offerings. The local community of csöves represent a great contrast with rich Buda kids – offspring of XII. district or especially the Rózsadomb people remarkably proud of their Beverly Hills attitude –. Here Erdődy learns more about life, survival, loss, sorrow and poetic justice as anywhere else available at the time. Frozen legs, motoric function errors, puffed up faces. And variations of Hungarian language. Here Erdődy starts to get into Magyar slang and argo. Note: in the bars he starts to prefer (most often located in proximities Moszkva tér and Móricz Zsigmond körtér) as a teen – not allowed into clubs at the time till 15-16 when he already looks as if 20-25 –, grey-beaded homeless old men are serving or collecting ashtrays. These characters add to his need to tell other people's stories. His ethnofil approach derives also from these locations, since gypsis, convicts, homeless, cripples, punks, skinheads are all present in these places. He learns all their manners and expressions.

Environments for industrial, gothic, synth pop, new wave, post-punk and occasionally indie culture he is quikly discovering: becoming a Hungarian Gothic himself. (for more check out: http://www.gothic.hu/ - editor)
The cultural background of Fekete Lyuk had a major influence on Erdődy. It is the post-folkbeat-1970s era of legendary bar characters and intellectuels active in Budapest such as Dixi, Tamás Szentjóby, Cseh Tamás, Vaszlavik Gazember, and others.
One of his older classmates - Bertina Kozák already in her late 20s - from the same alternative foundation school started attending the scene already as a teen and as such being anindoctrinated member, she later also took him for example to Voodoo on Csepel island for the first time. Besides Erdődy visiting Pecsa, they both attend Grufti and Industrial events here and other venues such as Filter Klub (VII., Almássy u. 1.)! Still the Fekete Lyuk generation - up to this day having meetings for example in ZegZug (1072 Budapest, Nagy Diófa u. 17.) - Erdődy consideres as a prime and intricate part of his tutelage! The only subculture club of Budapest started as the basement of Ganz MÁVAG Ifjúsági Klub in the notoriously dangerous VIII. district of the Hungarian capitol. In 1987 the band Kontroll Csoport is dissolving and Dezsávű Revű is born. A regular event out of which Fekete Lyuk will further develope in an era marked by Balkán Tourist (Balkán FuTourist) and other performances. The country is caught up in a signifant historic moment just before the regime change and the collapse of the Sovietunion with characters such as Dr. László Dura and the director of the cultural house in Golgota utca giving a green light to liberal and strange behaviour! Apart from Communist Party authorities finally it is allowed to be different. A handful of venues like the Lyuk (such as aftercomer club Tilos az Á) exist on th edge of society and the city. Still Lyuk for example has it's own police protection in form of Lajos "Kalapos" Kertész, fending off any razzia attempts. Fekete Lyuk closed around 1994 and was reopened by the former club owner Gyula Nagy (deceased 2018) with the name HáromPerHárom or III./III., former code for spying and reporting on suspicious activities during Communism. Erdődy gravely follows the pre-dresscode uniform fetish of the Fekete Lyuk generation who he encountered as a teen learning about independent thinking and a rapturous yet creative lifestyle known for it's tolerant behaviour.
Videos, articles:
https://welovebudapest.com/2016/04/18/ilyen-volt-budapest-elso-alternativ-szorakozohelye-fekete-lyuk/
https://www.szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu/meghalt-nagy-gyula-a-fekete-lyuk-vezetoje/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am_Lg6JoaRw

Getting to Budapest before the tail-end: from early on Erdődy is frequenting legendary bars and clubs with a special character. Most of these places are gone by now, but not all. Old Man's, Freeport Music Club (Csepel), Pecsa Klub (Városliget), Szoc (Sasad), Kashmir Underground (Üllői út), Voodoo (Csepel), West Balkan – both on Kopaszi-gát and Corvin köz –, WigWam (Albertfalva/Budafok), Tűzraktár – Tűzoltó utca –, Fat Mo's, Süss Fel Nap, Klub Vittula, Tej Bár (Madách tér), Blue Box / Kultiplex, Picasso Point, Cha Cha Cha – Kálvin –, Mono (Ó utca), PIAF, Szóda, Nincs Pardon, Centrál Klub – called Eötvös Klub in the 1960s, in the 2000s a hideout for politically active actors under Central Café house where besides two pianists (Gábor Valentiny and Robert Rick) Erdődy is the only person not being an actor –. It's the golden age! Further more Cöxpon, R33 (Vágóhíd), Marco Polo, Gödör Klub, Hasbeszélő – now known as Lámpás –, Vattaló (Agárd), Keret Klub, Roham – Vas utca –, Lokál – former Mumus 2 –, Drunken Tailor, Helvécia, El Rapido (basement), Dzzs bar, Show Barlang (Vágóhíd), Zappa pince, Koccintó, Kamara Café, Gólya Szövetkezeti Presszó, Auróra, WineStage, Fekete Gyöngy, or Krokodil rét (Zebegény), Nomád (Nagymaros), etc. From 2009-2010 the discovery of vanishing old establishments is becoming a hobby for the artist. He is a frequent guest in places like Pléh kocsma (Óbuda), also Bástya borozó – a cellar-bar (now gone) in Székely utca (I. district) –, and the késdobáló and lepra bars (késdobáló = knives thrower) on Népszínház utca between Blaha Lujza tér and Teleki tér.

Meanwhile Erdődy is befriending the dadaist crypto-anarcho-buddhist punkjazz (big)band Pop Ivan stepwise. First introduced to the others by Szabolcs Vereb on Sziget Fesztivál in 2002 the impact is huge! Erdődy is following them on tours in Hungary for years. From Budapest (Trafó Bár Tangó) to Szentendre (Nehéz zenék fesztiválja) to Győr (Média Wave) to Eger (Barlanglakások, Noszvaj) or little villages near Kapolcs (Művészetek völgye). With their vigorous music mix of classic jazz, latin guitar elements by János Bujdosó, further more Balkan folk, virtuous improvisations / poetry sequences and performances they inspire Erdődy tremendously! To become part of the friend circle is obvious. Soon cooperations follow (exhibition openings, flashmobs) and a few appearances in movies of the Buharov Brothers (members of art-in-cinema, chaos camping), a film-making duo within the gang of musicians, overlapping also with Super8 fetishists. Erdődy follows them with his camera in periods of shooting films such as A másik ember iránti féltés diadala or Az itt élő lelkek nagy része. Erdődy also frequents parties of one of the sub-sections of the gang called Lajos bulik in Budafok. Improvisations in deep winery catacombs, caverns and cisterns lasting till late. Some alcohol involved. Knowing founding members since 2003, during this time Erdődy was also on the tail of many post-Pop Ivan projects and separate involvements of former members in bands such as Chackra Hacker, Specko Jedno, Sumo Light, Syntax Orchestra, Trió Bujdosó, Szezonbűnözők, Gentry Sultan, The Pasztorz, Mindhoppers, Kinetic Erotic, etc.

Bars are first changing as the IX. district clubs and hidden alternative bars are told to stop their activities - politie eufemism for shutting them down -, causing the chain reaction of bars migrating to the VII. district, turning between 2005 and 2005 into the Party Zone causing locals to sell their properties and escape the are. Next phase enters when after 2015 spoiled rotten upper 10.000 kids and tourism is merging with local students mostly surpressing their desires due to poverty: all letting it out on weekends, overlapping with stag tourists, changing the dynamics. Bars for social activities and communication turn into stress release centers... where weasels, slapped jaw couchpotatoes and hotshots desperately try to dominate. Toxic stag parties and a stumbling croud. Obviously they are all in utter need of a doze of reality. Despite his continuity commitments in other fields of interest, Erdődy cannot concur. Gentrification and "modular nightlife" as he calls it (overall taste changing with the arrival of foreign money) on this scale drives him further underground. A violent environment resulting in self-destructive partying is taking over town as much as scrupulous building firms.

„It's a nice contrast to the old Gotham City, which was a pretty grimey, dirty place and in the future it's very clean... and that was directly what we wanted do. To show that crime has moved off the streets and entered the corporate boardroom... with noteable exceptions I guess.” – as Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini and others point out in a spectacular 22 minute voice record about the making of episodes of Batman Beyond (the animated series) back in 1997.

After-midnight-organizer

An important breakthrough is also marked by the achievement to co-organize the late-night events of Toldi Mozi (back then a dark little Art Cinema with a minibar and drinking in small groups). From 2006 Erdődy and writer / teacher Tamás Szentmiklósi are co-working on an underground hotspot and are selecting a great show! Known to only a few, Toldi already in the 1980s, 1990s used to be a sparkling venue for those thinking differently. Szentmiklósi as a mentor is educating Erdődy on musicology and Jewish culture and is coming from an intellectual family friends with Raul Wallenberg, István Örkény and as pharmacologists registered as inventors of No-Spa for example. The cooperation between teacher and student is a full succes! Jazz concerts, reading sessions, dadaist short movies, open minded conversations, debates open to all age groups, indoors smoking, and copious drinking. With the arrival of money to Hungary just a few years later and an agressive gentrification process hetching in the V. district (Old Town) of Budapest first: they relocate their culture club to Szentmiklósi's neighbourhood into Oli's – a Svabic pub decorated with Cuban souvenirs – on Ilka utca between Stefánia út and Hungária körút. They are staying here for several years until dismissing the project around 2014.

Erdődy in this period is a handful, practically drunk for 6 years, still showing extreme studiousness: writing most of his books and slowly orienting towards visual arts. It's all about the battle of the sexes with him and on top he looks ghastly. Just llike a porfiria diagnosed, skinny and super busy. As he is writing like a maniac, he is having jobs delivering papers, washing dishes or being a part-time property man at Bárka Theatre. The distorted image of him with his hair sticking up is in reality a fascade, a filter of some sort, and because of it not many get what he really stands for! He lives off-grid, has no phone (not to mention a mobile phone) and can only be reached through certain phone-booths 2 times a week (on Tuesday and Thursday between 5 and 5:15 PM). He is in fact a nightowl, lights are always burning in his unkempt Múzeum körút apartment consisting of a little corridor leading into a dingy room. This cozy tabernacle with not enough room to swing a cat has an open door. It's like a Benny Dalmau's hideout, a hospice for artists and underground faces. This period of Erdődy fans recently started calling Frank's Wild Years not only because of the album released in 1987, but it's subtitle: Operachi Romantico in Two Acts - reason: Erdődy starts sharing his space with a new friend, a potbellied drunk cook kicked-out by his wife. He is joining after a few years and is sleeping on a taken-off door on the floor. Erdődy is sleeping on a huge bag like a cat in a phoetus position motionless inthe corner. There's not much more space in the room, since Erdődy's books take away the rest. Often all sorts of folks are already sitting around him in the middle of the sacrarium-room as he wakes up (not being an early riser, in the beginning he is surpised that yesterday's afterparty is still in progress way after passing the bell-ringing at noon: in Hungary every noon all bells are ringing to celebrate chasing away the Ottoman Turks occupying the country for 150 years). After drinking sessions to continue at his flat becomes a common event. All are granting him more and more stories. London squatters, pet-fetishists, hitchhikers, bike deliver people, orphans, simple drifters, even an ex-police officer turned DJ. Freaks by the hundreds. Many of these visits escalate in parties lasting for days.

During these years women are coming and going, held hostage by their own terrible ideas. People to whom sex is transient, so are their plans for the future. Because of Erdődy's antiquated sense of moral in contradiction to going drinking and letting the tiger out: his relationships and love affairs get very rocky very soon. Perhaps also because of his high expectations not dating women who force social media on their partners, or others who with their textbook megalomania for domestic purposes are demanding 3 meals to be cooked every single day. Neither those who take jumping photos. Most of the women trying to tame him by wanting to be spiders in the house of love and failing at it will in their animalistic jelousy, pure envy and endless craving for attention escape the known-man-syndrom: the fame and all the craze around Erdődy. Smarter ladies thinking he is only obsorbing stories have to quikly realize, he is also very much becoming part of them. Afraid for their own reputation and because of the constant rumble in the jungle they depart. His raw nature and sophistication, to be down-to-earth and straightforward as a combo offends their modern sensibility. Often they say he is disgusting and sexy at the same time, which confuses them to whether… or not. Many who go for it are developing infirioirty complexes, commenting he is too intense. For these people reality with it's many challenges adding new unexpected experiences is alien and just too much. Despite the „átjáróház élet” (hallway-life) as Erdődy calls it, he sleeps with the most insane women one can dream up (if he sleeps at all). They inspire poetic expressions found in Erdődy's works such as „anyagba roskadt”, „ággyá lett lány”, „testtájak kölcsönvalósága”, „nagyon önmagát éli”, „langyos deszkákon”, „két sarokban ül és kesztyűt húz az alul és alulról táplált (bipolaritás)”, „a lélekgyarmat madonnái”, „boldog áldozatok”, „barátmákdaráló combközén át a hullámzó vakolat”, „úgy beszélnek, mintha porcicák és hópelyhek helyet cserélhetnének”, „csemegetest”, „klitográfia”, „Gender-Szadizmus”, „többlet-dekoltázs”, „tincskereső kis göndör”, „borderlány”, „túl hamar ellobbanó lángokba behajolva”, „halott éjszakai élettel rendelkező női agyba látni”, „elsült viszonyok”, „a kormány a nőknek belereszelt ígéreteket...”, „a dekoltázs a vagina vakablaka”, „a lélek kérgei közt fészkelődve parázslón, szánalmasan”, „az ajkakon túl nem csókolt még soha”, „szétterített humor-bonbon”, „besűrűlt ficánkolások”, „gatyatépő lányok és hozott kis kuszaságaik”, „fejükben úgy tátong az üresség, mint berobbantott napfénytető alatt a ház üressége”, „a megfizethető bizalmak mámorából élő”, „egykor-netán-volt-lelkük most nincs a helyén, kibuggyant”, „tudnak kártyával érintkezni, meg készpénzzel”, etc. Besides going out to do „field work” and talk to people, Erdődy is also collecting new material he calls „száraz őszi” (windfall) home delivered. Through the accurat depiction of how women are struggling in this hybrid system of Hungary – a lost to history tranzit country with only one major city – Erdődy is frame by frame deconstructing the „Agony Matrix” (as he calls it) of our times. The magic he is reading so well he translates into a bibliophil form of art instantaneously, performing the lines on stage between 2004 and 2016 as vocalic incantations. A simple spell of revelation! The code on the other hand, he states is in our women, presumably also quoting Cseh-Bereményi, one of the most famous musician-lyrics writer duos of the 1970s / 1980s of Hungary, who stated that our history is actually a part of the history of the women we hook up with.

Géza Csáth named it „áldozni” (to sacrifice), György Petri „megpinázni a madarat” (to feather the pussy), and so on. Erdődy in a quik English speaking interview recorded by exchange student said:
„Water of life out of fountains which cry theirs fluids”. His research is obviously cimplete.

Adding more Teutonic qualities: Veteran cycling

"Nehéz még itt ezt elhitetni. Ahol banki kölcsönből felbőgő gépszörnyet és státuszterepjárót irányít rád egy melák, mert totál frusztrálttá teszed, hogy a dugóban megelőzted, míg ő ezért hitelt vett fel vagy adót csal. Angolul úgy mondanám: immediate deresolution of an illusion- to have the choice. Ezzel szemben a képmutatás és feltűnés nélküli elegancia, amit hirdetünk errefelé meglehetősen új. Az utó-orosz idők még el fognak tartani egy-két nemzedéken át, vagyis az erőfitogtatás, utcán, képernyőn, satöbbi. Egymás mellett nem bedobozolva közlekedni a párbeszéd elindítása. Jelképes és hasznos. Ráfér az országra." -

"Within a population trained to compelle to obey after centuries and centuries of occupation... on top of that the late arrival consumer society post 1990 and gangster culture as fashion... forerun in traffic simply equals humiliations. Well if you are faster as somebody who cheated on tax or worse to have a big car: a stress situation in Hungary is not far behind. You outran them, they attack! They will make themselves feel like an imbecile. And punish you. So to promote non-status-symbol-public-self-transportation methods is a entirely new concept in this country. A presumption pre se."

Erdődy get's interested in cycling early on as his father is teaching him this art at the tender age of 5. Inventing multi-terrain bicycle night-races while building veteran steeds in his spare time becomes another interesting apsect of Erdődy already as an adult. Under the banner of https://www.waffenradforums.net, an open association he has founded with friend Neill Mooney (a Scottish engineer living in Hungary) they research the connections between Austrian and Hungarian bicycle manufacturing dating back to the period 1870-1930. Mooney is responsible for international relations and the maintanance of the forum involving IT tasks. Erdődy is uploading content and is managing meetings to be held. Together they are specialising in the legendary 19. century bicycle brand (mainly produced between 1865-1987) from Austria, the Waffenrad – meaning weapon wheel – or long Steyr-Puch Waffenrad. Zooming in on the history of the Mercédes of bicycles becomes a passion they share. Mooney and Erdődy – the Waffenrad Evangelists – not only discover connections with Jewish industrialist baron Manfréd Weiss and his Csepel Factory, but are tracing back the technology to it's British origins – Swift bicycles – organizing debates about such intricate technical details. The connection of shape and elegance they have great delight in introducing it to newcomers. It has the result that already in their first year of activity cycling enthusiasts start joining their ranks. The jet-black bicycle club's philosophy – by now having British, US, Spanish, Austrian, Scottish, South African, and Hungarian members – is consisting of riding a two-wheel sculpture celebrated as part of the ethos and living up to their motto Bicycle is the freedom of thought in action. Promoting the importance of cycling as also a psychological need – to go out in a psychical environment and use your body as instincts dictate – is clearly part of their statement. They are adding an intellectual foundation to their activities also by uploading hundreds of discussions and comment threads on their online forum. Their analogue meetings on the other hand involve bicycle parts exchange and inauguration of new forum members. While publishing translations and recycled articles on their online platform almost on daily basis, they organize group outings, modest drinking sessions and also – whenever possible – meetings to do interviews with long distance cyclists passing through Hungary. Despite the many functions and cultural missions this forums has, riding big old heavy black bicycles still stays in focus of the Wafferad tradition maintained by now not only in Austria, but in Budapest alike! The club has 22 members in total and many followers worldwide with views climbing. Members and cyclists outside the Waffenrad spectacle can enjoy events such as Hardcore Cycling, Cold Weather Cylcing, Black Stubborn Derby©, the Don't call us vintage punks party or Summer Rad©, the festival.
OFFICIAL WEBPAGE ::: https://summerrad.hu/

SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/events/zebeg%C3%A9ny/summer-rad-2019-sport-m%C5%B1v%C3%A9szeti-kisfestival/880820838938628/

FORUM INFO: https://www.waffenradforums.net/index.php?p=/discussion/573/summer-rad-2019-sport-muveszeti-kisfestival-sportsarts-fest-line-up-scroll-down-for-english#latest

LOCAL PAGE: http://www.zebegeny.org/hu/program/summer_rad

The founders are keen on presenting the connection of female emancipation in the early 20. century and bicycle culture, which they home in on through articles published on their forum. Mostly debates, translations and essay combos posted next to each other to help comparison and decoding. They also have a rich gallery with pictures organized by topics and titles.

Joined by Zoltán Tuba (meteorologist), Alicia Galinsoga (PHD Student & Master's Degree in Reproductive Medicine and Genetics), Bbaalláázzss (engineer), SzerediCs (visual artist), and finally in 2019 also by Tim Green – owner of Klub Vittula – the team is ready to organize significant events. With Tim Green they form the Winter Division, going for trips in the woods on bicycles in January, thus through ice and deep snow. Here they also develope training methods such as pulling the other while holding hands for 10-20 kilometers to train legs and practice breathing techniques. In many of these exercises Erdődy prooves to be a peak human.

The long-distance-night-race the two founders establish is a unique example of testing one's own limits. Rules forbid GPS, hydration pauses, non-technical stops, and lights, since it is considered a speed-race accomplished in pitch darkness. It is running trough farm-land, swamps, forests, private property, open sections of river banks, even a shipyard area and the outskirts of Budapest. The 70 km race called BLACK STUBBORN DERBY™ was completed during it's test phase by Erdődy in record time: 3 hours 10 miuntes. The orientation and visualisation challenge is reflecting his childhood experience gathered in the forests of NordRhein-Westfallen and his twilight fetish mentioned in the chapter „Rise of the polymath man: details on a creature”.

Next on their list after rediscovering „L'art de se défendre à bicyclette” – and researching social hubs such as The Art of Manliness and The Bartitsu Society – is to establish a Rad Dojo, where they would teach Mounted Ninja™ (or simply BikeFight), a form of martial arts for self-defense. It's goal is to help radlers (cyclists) living in megapolis like environments – crossing the city in dense traffick and being blocked by cars from all sides – to use the bicycle as defensive component applying it only as countermeasure. The technique still in the phase of developement – adopting elements from other previous incarnations of this craft – is based on the element of surprise, skilfulness and a tiny bit of physical strenght. They plan to introduce the Budapest version of bicycle combat tactics at their Summer Rad© boutique sport festival in late summer 2019 supported by artists, catering specialists and other cyclist fractions. With slogens like Don't call US Vintage PUNKS!, traditional slap-dances, Pickelhaube, barbeque, Lederhosen, a medieval tournament on two-wheels and bands playing on the beach with audiences sitting in the river holding their drinks while cooling off – reminding us again of the Vittula Beach Party and the Almássy téri poetry reading session mentioned in chapter Unmasking Erdődy's poetry above –.

The Kick-Ass of Budapest: Battle Royal Origo

There is tough and there is stupid. As Erdődy is diving deeper into the underbelly of Budapest, he finds himself in certain situations where he is in need of improvisation. In a dirty and dangerous bar called Panic Pub – a pocket dimension version of a slum safari for starters – he is often listening to creeps, perverts and bouncers who in the end are asking him for advise. Soon regulars elevate him to pub-priest status. He – willingly or not – is giving occasional opportunities for confessions to the lost. No question is indescreet, but answers have to be thought through twice. Elveszettek Gyóntatója (Confessioner of the Lost) is the title he earns among professional prostitutes, horing around student chicks, off-duty bartenders, dipsomaniacs, croupiers, kid junkies, enforcers, drop-in convicts and other usual suspects being trampled and picked over. Where society dumps it's broken dreams. Within a few years he is getting calls – no matter how often he changes numbers – to show up and „talk somebody out of mayhem”. Everyday violence or out-of-a-sudden-suicides are on the menu. Shouting ladies locking themselves up in toilets. One night always makes the difference... It's all down his alley. Within a few years he sees more secret passages, more hidden garages, more dropzone flats, more slumish apartments, more beatings, more junkies, more thieves, and is chatting with more cab drivers, more bartenders, more bar owners as any intellectual in the city ever before him. Most often he goes after the stories of orphans and exiles.

Much similar to Francois Villon (one of Erdődy's favourite poets) or Niccolò Machiavelli in the north of Reneissance Italy – who frequently roamed the gutters of Firenze (Florence) –, Erdődy also put his street-knowledge to use in his writing. Slang, argo and codenames are well preserved.

Danger fits him like a tight black glove... on one hand at least just like on a Mapplethorpe photograph. Rescuing people from rape and robbery, the lost to alcohol or women roaming the night in a histeric state almost overrun by cars on avenues becomes the next stage of evolution. Curage, compession? Too modest, reluctantly he did it spoiling viscious apetite. He is not trying to change the system, he is patching it, doing his best work in the dark. It's like a day too long. Analogue PVE Combat (AKA Ratting) after sunset, MMORPG of an NPC coming to life.

It's a high price, but it's better as the alternative: watching and doing nothing. Erdődy is getting used to late hours from yet another new perspective. It's not the nights, which are tough, it's the mornings. A belligerent lifestyle resulting in collapse prevention turning circumstances to the player's advantage... for a while. By the end of the decade out of incredibly noble endeavour the sturdy character (the biggest act ever pulled off by Erdődy) and alterego / local vigilante Battle Royal Origo is born – a pre-Superhero movie era investigative local suspect (not exactly human), who as a civil servant is showing his darker side after sunset. Two fisted tales?
The name is given to him by an ex-professional boxer he had „conciliery hours” with (apperantly the exchange ends well), chatting about facts like Mohammad Ali claiming he is descending from the bloodline of Cassius Clay –. Erdődy's fatalist alterego is out on the streets skin to skin far from dusty rooms where case-law is practiced with little rewards (if any) to live a life of narrow escapes... but not forever... cutting edge intervention instead of sudden case of shyness - he pops up like an anti-body as the city starts changing and mass investment, constant thievery, mugging, rape drugging, and stag parties start destroying the cool ambient of Budapest, especially the vibe of the 2000s everybody loved. Low life criminals rough him up. First inspiration leading to this ferocious transformation he get's from being frequently beaten up for his poetry reading sessions – provocative, having political content – in years 2008-2011. He realizes, he can quite easily take the punishment dicovering his durability. Calling the shots in sidestreets if trouble is brewing soon hooks him as he has the stamina to chase after pitty crime having been a swimmer, an athlete and basketball player, later waterpolo player for a Hungarian team. In the first years he isn't blowing enough smoke and experiences nothing that a shower wouldn't cure, but after the second winter it goes downhill. Hand-to-hand combat, chases, action packed nights. This story was unknown up until an interview given in 2017 and belongs to a long list of faboulus stories one cannot come up with. Like when Erdődy was chased through a European forest by S.W.A.T. units unleashing dogs (which he all escaped), almost loosing his friendship with fellow artist DJ Zefyr – about whom we know more from Ilona Varga's long interview with Erdődy from 2018 –. This is how it all happened: While chasing a phantom who according to reports is running on all fours through the national park near the border, Erdődy's friend was questioned for half a day by the local law enforcement units. This adventure the friend later called „A te Rambo numerád” (your Rambo stunt) with grief, but wasn't aware of the PTSD factor, because of which the incident happened. Namely the prior years Erdődy spent on the streets fighting off hoodlums and that getting accidentally drugged during such a party with a 15 time overdose having a rather boiling attitude is inherently dangerous. The reaction during the micro-subculture gathering of noise-music specialists – perhaps two dozen underground performers from all over Europe – was triggered by a man trying Thai Chi & touching on native women early in the morning, which offended Erdődy deeply as he sensed this act to be manipulative, unjust and foul. Many other such crazy adventures are still waiting to be uncovered!

Philosophy behind heroism

Erdődy has been said to be the reincarnation of many historic figures (the Japanese warrior-monk Saitō Musashibō Benkei, or the sexually hyperactive monk from Bhutan called Drukpa Kunley). Like them, he survived many dangerous situations. Vigilante energy of untamed glory are part of the fable telling us about baptism by fire week after week and constant danger. This became routine early on with the first broken off tooth as Erdődy is deflecting blows in alleys to protect drunk women and keep the city's maniacs busy. A not unworthy aspiration. Headstrong and wreckless yet professional and fit for duty - he calls "önvédelemből profinak lenni". Incidentally he does good. That action effects physical constitution is learned quikly. His always overly coscious character meanwhile dictates – as much as he is fixing his clothes and cutting his hair himself – to not go to a doctor. He executes all the suture himself, except one time when his face is kicked open and along his teeth the flesh from nose to lip opens up and folds like a blossom. The local proactive gutter rambler is not running for 1st prize of alphamale smackdown, but is most incistent about the doubtful and altered perception of nightlife until resigning effective immediately, prudent to not to get involved again.

Is this his version of a male's right of passage? He is following the principle few stand against many. Toursits. They feel like big fish in the small pond,this with crime using the mob as a cover drove him over the edge. Politics of Saturday Night... picking up the habit of being a trouble-junkie: He loves a good barfight in his freetime.

Stabs and concussions. Aching in a fractured, slightly dislocated jaw and damaged or broken off teeth caused by multiple flip-kicks with metal plated and other boots while running into gangs. Also pain in joints and knuckles as well as splintered knee-caps are constant reminders eversince how the once was delicate constitution of a young man was turned by self-sacrifice and unnecessary heroism into a beefy posture of maturity and manhood. Results of costume adventurism and unearthed domino mask ideals? Saving one case at a time? It's not exactly cosplay we are dealing with here... It's a brutish, nasty affair. Seeing all the fresh and deep scars on mostly legs and arms (or because he is womiting from having received too much on the head) with cuts on his clothing, many women break up with him thinking he is simply a heavy drinker starting or getting into bar fights. He is listening to the pretext not having empathy, being stupid, weak and selfish. Women who plan to reach ball and chain status saying basically that he is not helping anybody. Classic. He is doing it anyway, he just hates to be lectured. Women. Their nagging over his wounds he calls: mad cow scare with foot & mouth. Possibly they would have left even if he admits heroing around in the middle of the night. In reality he indeed has a few drinks after a patrol spitting some liquer into open wounds. This is how he considers to be done with first aid - liquid courage is served. „If it's beaten, your face, the bones get bigger. Your character, your appearance changes unavoidably.”, he recalls the times of male initiation facing impossible odds. Notice: no tactical gear is applied (as if provoking his own physical excellence, thus physicality leaping over into becoming a living metaphore. It's no coincidence he titles his latest collection of poems Hősök a Sikátorból – Heroes from the gutter the very moment he quits vigilantism). Although occasionally he is wearing a chain mail under a hawaiian shirt against knifes, the chevalier attitute surrounded by an armor not thicker as a cool biker leather jacket (clothes not made to measure) and the concept of being puncture-proof through mentality itself is material like right out of fiction stories and comic book adaptations for film. Ripped heroism? Facing the multiverse of madness regards to Budapests raw post-1990s nightlife? Highminded ideals and custom-built costume justice with crush-helmet and a Kato mask as old as the Tommy Gun... For years out of his sturdy cranium Erdődy is molding himself into a follower of the heroic class, despite him not being characteristically into hero worshipping. He is much more distinct with ties to human appreciation of courage. In fact, he as a crazy spirited man has reality always on the horizon in front of him, thus with this double-religious attitude when experiencing that all men breach and fall – the experience of a rich sacrament and a stupid idea, evocation and superstition simultaneously –, the overwhelmed Erdődy chooses to calm down before the fall. By the time he is knee-deep in it already... Time comes when you hang up the cape before gambling and getting in deep with the sharks - one could read in a typical comic book page. In reality the entire program is circleing the drain. Knowing that the siege is still on even in the smallest proportions in forms of crime escalating in town commited by civilians, after years and years (say goodbye to the spawn of darkness) Battle Royal Origo turns his back on the masses. On masses and groups of unsupervised kids planting glass pieces under car tires by the hundreds every night (causing many accidents), teens threatening teachers after being forbidden to smoke right at the gates of schools after sunset – thus doing it by now without remorse – and with a new population of Budapesters – the low class office proli or the rundown tenantment building dwellers living off wellfare – who throw empty plastic bottles, dipers, all sorts of trash right out of the window as in the backcountry they came from. Erdődy is not going after it all anymore, he is not organising collect-the-trash groups (although his idea is spreading in other Hungarian cities such as Keszthely for example) and is not leaning in front of car crashes. It's time to be burned out. A very hard way to gain experience and learn patience fueled somewhere deep within by generosity and guilt. Within the span of 6 to 8 years of being active after sunset not developing any sense of respect for jurisdictional nonsense: he keeps his skills sharpened. Within an area of V., VII., VIII. districts overlapping (his self-proclaimed Devil's Acre or Hell's Kitchen) he goes on a frequent hunt and realises only later that the game is up for long. During all the pugilism to redeem himself he finally undestands physical limitations and that he has reached the end of his rope over 30. That brutality changes you, he realizes quikly, thus to be a good man is more important to him as to become addicted to adrenalin. Single-minded destruction is out of the question, this is a tactical withdrawal. Cooled out Buddhist cowboy. With his moral victory over violence not wanting to break as many eggs as possible anymore, he quits the „Bűnkonyha” („Sin-Kitchen”) as he names it. Unavoidably the process to turn the ”samaritan boxing gloves” in reaches it's climax. Consistant with a long line of interpretations of such actions, strangely that doesn't change the fact that he would presumably die for what he believes in! Coming to an age of realization above and beyond the call of duty means: he no longer deems it a necessity to put his life to risk to save people irresponsible to themselves. All the drunks falling from railings and others who buy fake drugs, while everybody is watching. The attitude of indifference of those who pleadged to stop them. Tourists jumping in front of cars after 5 shots or are randomly vandalizing the gates of ”Graceland”, or at least those of the Central Synagogue. Pissing against churches, breakin windows, etc. And the under 21 year old overseas girls by the tens and hundreds of thousands arriving every summer to Budapest getting served in Europe already with 18 and are lost already by midnight.

Quote: [[ ... who in a drunk state land in beds carried there through the streets by multiple men as if they weren't inprinted with an awareness of sex, especially knowing about things in connection with sex out in the night. Like taking care when they bend over or think of something else as sex if they cannot sleep. ]]

And the other thousands – men and women – Erdődy finds all over the city, guiding them back to their homes, hotels, bus stops; foreigners, teens in floks, young girls roaming outside the inner city all night (in fear or being drunk or drugged). All the underaged amateur protitutes and student girls forced by incredible underpayment to go for it till at least their final exams, who are beaten on the streets by muggers (taking in concideration that 0,2% of the Czech population is already earning it's daily with this profession; in a wellfare state where such activity is legal and one can register makes it even more interesting, since in Hungary prostitution is illegal and is done in secret or online). The stupid tips of „Stripadvisor” and „Hop On Fuck Off” (as he calls them with humour) looring people unable to discover anything by themselves into tourist traps that pay to be in the spotlight. As these spotlights more and more start to overshadow authentic, real, original, traditional Budapest places, with owners who loose their businesses… It's enough! Erdődy realizes, the help he provides is just like a by-pass every night. As occupational hazard is overthrown by oversight, the misfortune of those paying to be humliliated doesn't drive Erdődy back to show up in his personal old fashioned way on the streets via car or by foot ever again to do heroics. As Budapest – although stepwise polished shiney for tourists – has fallen from pride – starting in it's gutters –: the answer is clear! As the city is becoming a new addition to corrupted culture – which is blooming –, skipping pride and taking action becomes a thing of the past. It's someone else's turn. It seems, Erdődy through sitting with all the lost of the night (where it all started) the circle is complete, he didn't wanna loose himself although gained a hightened sense of empathy. As if working for years like a walk-in clinic set up in bars for the mentally derranged would be enought, all the way up till he is street fighting, he truely gained a massive knowledge on the system and those who's mind is toast. The broken logic behind all of it included. Crooks, criminals, runaways, hookers, etc., or everday people loosing their jobs, their marriage, their family. Most profoundly in a world of so called professional psychiatrists, who are playing not much more than spiritual plumbers, as Erdődy quotes Alan Moore – one of his favourite critics on the demistificated modern environment of sterile interactions – and in a tragically specific modern Hungarian scenario, where between 2010 and 2018 most mental asylums and sanatoriums were shut down by the government and the inmates, all the mad were let loose on the streets. One would almost think that if crowbars don't do the job to disarm a vigilante, moderation will. But ten thousand fresh psychos on the run swarming the Budapest gutters are enough as well. By 2016 Battle Royal Origo is down for the count. Erdődy still remains an imposing force of inspiration with his legend, and a local spirit to butch up those in need of motivation. We can for example discover his impact on Gyula Terebesi, an extremely talented young painter studying to become a restorer, since Erdődy is supplying Terebesi with clothes and costumes to dress his models into when working on medieval of 1950s themes. On Terebesi's "Szent László vizet fakaszt a sziklából", a 2018 painting (canvas, oil, 210 x 340 cm) we can see Erdődy's armor and other gear appearing.

https://www.facebook.com/1179823028718285/photos/a.1191780580855863/1950601051640475/?type=3&theater
https://www.instagram.com/terebesigyula/

As Hungarians would say: „mindvégig konstruktív szerepet vállalt”. Due to the etymology of the heros's name and the shadowy presence of background information in the extant Budapest corpus, some scholars propose that Erdődy may have once held a more central place among the deities of early Budapest nightlife history.

Rise of the polymath man: The start

Taking in consideration all the above mentioned facts regarding productivity, this already cements the image of the urban-artistic-polymath man. But how does such sentient liberty, almost alien desire develope and manifest? Born into post-idealism when there were 3 instead of 8 billion people? It's the age of briefcases and leg warmers, Seinfeld, mullets, baggie clothes and neon colors, lipsticks in brown/dark or red/mauve shades, Spandex, Polaroid, short mini skirts and slip dresses, Babybel, 7Up, with series like Sledge Hammer!, Miami Vice, M*A*S*H, Who’s the Boss?, Full House, The Dukes of Hazzard, Mork & Mindy, Quantum Leap, Murder She Wrote, Roseanne, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and crazy things such as Max Headroom, Dino-Riders, Beavis & Butthead, The A-Team, Black Adder, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, Dinosaurs or Wayne's World. In German the late period of Ordoliberalism. Quote: "Ennek a korában élés. A birkagyapjúhuzatos hátsóüléseken a berregő Trabanthang, a Berlini fal kényszerképzete összekapcsolódik hatalmas Szovjet tengeralattjárókkal. Búrák bonyolult birodalmai, NATO-klausztrofób szülői tekintetek, tükrök Kelet felől, meg amerikai ízek. Eközben a német autópályán Porschéval száguldunk." Welcome to childhood Expecting an exceptionally cute baby with a sweat disposition it turns out the baby starts to talk very quikly convincing the family with 2 to use certain nicknames when reffered to instead of the ones in official papers. Erdődy's Agogae is a complex system of behaviour patterns. The European humanist citoyen world of complicated thoughts from before World War II (recommended literature: Sándor Márai's works) and consiquences involving nationwide seizure of property. Groomed to be resilient and hard yet educated and polite, from early on Erdődy is surrounded by religous and devoted people. His mother belives in tough love, sending him off to school even when he is sick, saying, come back only when you womit or pass out -, while his father is the praying type. This in every aspect can be considered a Spartan upbringing. Combine these qualities with the priming to become a not only intellectual forager. This passion was passed down the line as he receives teaching from his motherly grandfather, a hunter by birth as well as the regular German bootcamp training Erdődy received as a kid from young adults from the Bundeswehr... One can see it's anything but inadvertently that he seeks out his own battles on the dark streets of pre-tourism Budapest in the 2000s...
Erdődy's early life is an act between Siebengebirge (Germany) and Siebenbürgen (Transylvania). In an environment marked by disciplin he learns crucially focusing on intellect and community. By any means he is a "Smallville boy" put in a world living on electronic music, film soundtracks and video games: working itself via synthwave towards a retro future. It all starts with Erdődy growing up next to an American military base in Bonn, the capitol of West Germany. It's the period being a kid in Germany marked by television presenter Peter Lustig ( October 27, 1937 - February 23, 2016 ) and his informative show Löwenzahn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%B6wenzahn

See location: http://www.general-anzeiger-bonn.de/ga-english/Old-photos-of-the-American-compound-in-Bad-Godesberg-article4002897.html.
https://rudycouvreur.wordpress.com/2006/11/14/city-views-bonngermany-the-american-residential-estate-at-bonn-plittersdorf/
Many embassies and the US colony on Kennedyallee in the Rheinaue area are his first cradle of identity with landmarks such as Stimson Memorial Chapel ( N 50° 42.154 E 007° 09.673 ), The American Embassy Club, the Bonn American High School, the Apostolic Nunciature (1952–2001: Turmhof, east part of Plittersdorf), the Mausoleum von Carstanjen, HICOG-Siedlung Plittersdorf, which now is part of a campaign to preserve the neighbourhood - http://baukultur-bonn.de/tag/hicog, http://rasp-buergerinitiative.de/ - or the Rheinaue Park: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheinaue_(Bonn). Erdődy grows up surrounded by young US soldiers on the same alley where in 23rd June 1963 US President John F. Kennedy rolls along spearheading a convoy to the very US Residence building next to which Erdődy grew up later. More: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/HICOG-Siedlung_Plittersdorf

Archive footage of the road section: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEMUeiOTXHw
Current footage of the location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ORVsLFHUiA (08:11 - right hand side, global coordinates: 50.701369,7.163824)
Here at the merging point of Turmstraße and Kennedyallee he has a chance to learn about different cultures, the background of foreign friends based on intermarried parents. And a huge group of in Bonn stationed young US soldiers who are more than happy to tell tales in the nearby dinner about the ongoing Gulf War, Vietnam before, with titles and ranks like Texas Rangers, US Marshalls, Federal Agents, Sheriffs and of course Cowboys, which Erdődy will get fixated on for quiet some time… the American way mixing with German precision as well as the puritan environment of militaristic simplicity of Plittersdorf (location of the American colony) will brand him for life. With expressions circling in the neighborhood like interventionism, overstretch, invasion or civil war. Erdődy is flying a lot as a child, not enjoying the results from alterations to the body's circadian rhythms caused by rapid long-distance trans-meridian travel. More often sitting through 12-15 hour car rides trains him for later adventures as a natigator of the mobile school he works for (mentioned in chapter Binomial Contrasts…), earning several awards.

1990. The many 10.000 sqm surfice embassy building is offering indoors living kids of employee families an unforgetable playground in which Erdődy knows most shorcuts climbing pipes and using shafts. In the sublevels of the massive building he invents his own games with fellow children. As with other fascilities, Erdődy is able to draw the blueprint of the Turm Straße high level security complex with pinpoint accuracy to this day. Climbing the 5th floor rooftop terraces became another fixation, which shows again when on the Keleti Blokk artist community center's 5th floor rooftop – no edge, no protection – becomes the open balcony to inhabiting creative minds. It is interesting how Erdődy is also climbing out on rooftops with his childhood friend, ex-soldier Márton Baksai living in Wien (Vienna, capitol of Austria). The passions lived out on the open platoo of Keleti Blokk are anything, but provisoric and are documented by him on photographs with Christopher Waver for example even skateboarding up there...

To overcome the contrast between German and Hungarian languages, synchronizing consonant shifts with vowel harmony becomes a task lasting till into late teenagehood. We can imagine how it feels to sit with 6 year olds learning the alphabet, when you are already 11? He learns writing in Hungarian, the grammar itself within 16 months (he has to!) and starts writing – to practice – short stories, later poems with this newly gained knowlegde he mastered very quikly. Living up to the xpectations of his adopted home he must most certainly feel like having a mandate in a foreign place... To be bound to such deadlines and being forced to adopt will reflect in how he is reading Italian newspapers in 9 months, when he – to support his father – proceeds to live off and on in Rome, Italy. They choose Nomentano, a beautiful neighbourhood of the city located between Termini and Porta Pia.
Erdődy as a child for a long time is speaking a mixed language of German-Hungarian (with some English) and other semantic textures picked up from other kids in the diplomat quarter of Bonn – adding many expressions to the family vocabulary –. Here in Germany at school he learns the Gothic alphabet - created in the 4th century by Ulfilas -. The family spends the year in the Rheinland and goes to Ossiacher See in summer or comes to visit Hungary mostly to pay a visit at Öszöd – the government summer estate –. Here Erdődy as a young boy frequently meets Árpád Göncz, president of Hungary and a magnificent translator – of E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime or J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings –. The examplary, calm and intelligent character of Göncz and his child-friendly attitude make him a favourite among children on holiday in the highly guarded resort.

Quote (conversation between Erdődy and his father at one of the vacations with Árpád Göncz being present): [[ -Még egy kicsit beszélgessünk! -Nem kisfiam, most már hagyjuk az elnök urat, hadd fürödjön. ]]

In his teenhood Erdődy chooses Budapest instead of Berlin, because there the 1980s classic underground structure is already compromised. West and East Germany are united, the former DDR is indoctrinated into the Atlantic confederation. But Budapest is still far from being discovered. In the 1990s it is still a village by any means. Budapest unified from 3 parts only in 1873 can to this day considered a very young metropolis with dynamics similar to those of the 19. century downtown. It has kept these features and is only changing from after 2010-2012 into a more posh environment for foreigners with more wannabe and show-off venues (temporary attractions) as authentic spaces. There were also fewer cars after the boom of the 1990s. This became a menace again around 2012 with the onslaught of undersocialized countrysiders ( plagued by uncertainty ) thinking in and bringing with them their status symbol vehicles paid by the bank of course. Nowadays streets are full of cars everywhere downtown Budapest, making it hard for campaigns such as I BIKE BUDAPEST to make a breakthrough with ease. Another aspect was the lack of consumerism: active buyers are mostly not coutios buyers till just before the hipster generation appeared. They on the other hand became qwikly the typical Tofu Youth strapped in a roller coaster riding on the ege of trashed illusions and plastic waste. Little, but shopping capacity back in the day (not much Western products till 1990-1995 anyway), but a wild atmosphere played out among ruins after which ruin bars will be named not to be misunderstood as a concept art project, but as a memento that the city was really in ruins from between 1956 – the Hungarian uprising against Russia – and 2006-2010.

The gamer

Training himself on graphic design first, taking this experience attained from Photoshop also into analogue practice is a key component. Since Erdődy is also a gamer since 1991/1992 he has enough experience to extract digital methods. Receiving his first computer, a Highscreen Vobis Colani 486-sx25 is a milestone in this regard. Over the years he is using Build, Tech 3, RenderWare, Source, Asura, Glacier 2, Unreal 4 and other engines being an active player till 2018, thus his eyes are used to colour variations, pixels, framerates and resolution.

Although not an arcade game person, Erdődy has vague memories of After Burner, a combat flight simulator arcade game designed by Yu Suzuki for Sega AM2Games from 1987, Out Run Arcade game developed by Sega in 1986, The Karate Kid – published in November 1987 – for Amiga and Atari ST by Microdealand, as well as the arcade game version of Street Fighter at the time he has been praticing on in Gran Canaria in the mid 1990s. Here we have a list of memorable gamer culture icons, DOS, PC and videogames Erdődy has played over the years: (extra: https://www.jumpjet.info/Classic-Games/DOS/MORE/raw.htm)

After Burner (1987), Chase H.Q. (1988), Battle Chess (1988), Final Fight (1989), Prince of Persia (1989), Ski or Die (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Test Drive III: The Passion (1990), The Amazing Spider-Man (1990), Stunt racing (1990), Bomberman (1990), Mega Man (1990), Super Mario World (1990), Red Baron (1990), Monkey Island 2 (1991), Ninja Rabbits (1991), Gunship 2000 (1991), The Games - Winter Challenge (1991), MiG-29M Super Fulcrum (1991), Hugo (1991), Prehistoric action (1991), WWF Wrestlemania (1991), Lemmings (1991), Pac-Man (1992), Wolfenstein 3D (1992), Dune II: The Battle for Arrakis (1992), Street Fighter II (1992), Tomb Raider (1992), Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (1992), European Championship 1992 (1992), Super Metroid (1992), Star Wars: X-Wing (1993), IndyCar Racing (1993), Epic Pinball (1993), Jurassic Park (1993), Super Street Fighter II (1993), Star Wars: TIE Fighter (1994), Disney's Aladdin (1994), Raptor: Call of the Shadows (1994), Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf (1994), Super Mario Bros (1994), Mortal Kombat 2 (1994), Quarantine (1994), Helicopter Mission (1994), The Lion King for DOS (1994), Dawn Patrol (1994), Transport Tycoon Deluxe (1995), Three Days of Gettysburg (1995), Mortal Combat 3 (1995), Mega Man X (1995), Duke Nukem 3D (1996), Command & Conquer: Red Alert (1996), Death Rally (1996), Z (1996), Worm United (1996), Alien Trilogy (1996), Resident Evil (1996), MegaRace 2 (1996), Asterix and Obelix (1996), Quake II (1997), Carmageddon (1997), Panzer General II (1997), G-Police (1997), Need for Speed II (1997), Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far (1997), X-Men: Children of the Atom (1997), Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit (1998), Commandos (1998), Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (1998), Pharao (1999), Midtown Madness (1999), North vs. South: The Great American Civil War (1999), Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia (1999), Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (1999), Fighting Steel (1999), Aliens vs Predator (1999), Starfleet Command (1999), Silent Hill (1999), Medal of Honor (1999), SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle (1999), Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Diablo II (2000), Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine (2000), The Sims (2000), Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (2000), Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force (2000), Max Payne (2001), Enclave (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2002), Star Trek: Bridge Commander (2002), Call of Duty (2003), Postal 2 (2003), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003), Need for Speed: Underground (2003), The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring (2003), Enter the Matrix (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Conan (2004), Half-Life 2 (2004), Doom 3 (2004), World of Warcraft (2004), Wars and Warriors: Joan of Arc (2004), Need for Speed Underground II (2004), Sniper Elite (2005), Need for Speed: Carbon (2006), Gears of War (2006), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007), Portal (2007), The Sims 2 (2008), Fallout 3 (2008), Mirror’s Edge (2008), Saints Row 2 (2008), Viking: Battle for Asgard (2008), Prototype (2009), Wet (2009), Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2009), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), Red Dead Redemption (2010), Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (2010), Dante's Inferno (2010), God of War III (2010), Dead Space 2 (2011), L.A. Noire (2011), Captain America: Super Soldier (2011), Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011), Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013), The Last of Us (2013), Rust (2013), Tomb Raider (2013), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014), Titanfall (2014), The Forest (2014), Alien: Isolation (2014), Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), The Order: 1886 (2015), Planetbase (2015), Dying Light (2015), Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (2015), Mad Max (2015), Superhot (2016), Dreadnought (2016), ARK: Survival Evolved (2016), Mafia III (2016), Tom Clancy's The Division (2016), Star Citizen (2016), No Man's Sky (2016), Horizon Zero Dawn (2017), Star Wars Battlefront II (2017), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (2017), Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017), Subnautica (2017), For Honor (2017), Vampyr (2018), Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018), Battlefield V (2018), God of War (2018), Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018), Days Gone (2019), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019), ...

… with Franchises such as: Grand Theft Auto (1997-2023), Far Cry (2004-2021), Batman: Arkham (2009-2016), Assassin's Creed (2007-2023).

Erdődy is socialized by the art of Bruce Timm's dedicated works as well as Dan Riba's and Butch Lukic's visions. Active in pop culture consumerism between periods (voice acting by) Kein Conroy till Steve Blum. Despite his knowledge on the Kevin Feige, Joss Whedon, Anthony and Joe Russo, J. J. Abrahms and James Mangold era of comic books turning popular Hollywood assets, Erdődy is beyond the Adam Savage mancave-tours, the Fanboys reality of watchmojo.com, Epic Rap Battles of History and being a Big Bang Theorist. Still he is following the scene through Hot Toys and Toyworth as well as gameplay reveals, skins, mods, renders and updates. As Screen Junkies (Movie Fights), WhatCulture.com, Honest Trailers, Super Power Beat Down and Robot Chicken became standard mainstram trends on Youtube, including Good Mythical Morning, or Jerry Kimmel's Mean Tweets live a viral thing and household names as much as MARVEL on Disney's XD, Erdődy turns conservative and supports small channels like Comix Explained, Spacedock, Chris Stuckmann, Star Wars Theory, The Film Theorists, and online players TheRadBrad, JackFrags, MKIceAndFire, FRANKIE ON PC IN 1080 or ONE_Shut_GURL.

How to survive the most HARDCORE survival PvP and MMO, even MMORPG games of the late 2010s is obvious to him having already played one of the early CoD (Call of Duty – the editor) mulitplayers under the nickname Shaman on public servers powered by OpiNet, szervernet.hu, KoViSoft, Gamearena.hu, PublicServer@www.info, [DVD]Szappan, IdeaWeb, YOUR private massacre area, and many others. Winning rounds or scoring high in years 2004-2005 led him to end up often banned for his precise and tactically rewarding strategies with 45 to 60 kills (perhaps more) each time. Deflated, this drives him finally to be out of temper. Rushing and sniping by significantly making use of his surroundings was part of Erdődy's combat tactics, while camping not at all. Opposing strike and delusive retreat tactics he rejects, he is not bogged down, changes positions after each shot fired and is literally hunting other players. Erdődy stopped excesively gaming in 2014 to stepwise stop playing till about 2016. The new era of online gaming such as Counter-Strike Global Offensive Zombie Escape mod online multiplayer gameplay on the custom ze Bathroom v2 map level 1 although looking interesting, as stimulation aren't strong enough to get him to sit back behind the keyboard or consol. His AFK behaviour is surprising and mysterious.

Cultural milestones like K. Dick's, Tom Clancy's or Sid Meyer's works as well as three point superhero landings, Marvel vs Capcom, Wilhelm screams or post-credit scenes although he is well aware of, as a serious art collector of graphic novels and other memorabilia: he resembles the classic comic book fan. With favourite allegoric characters such as Mr. A, Miracle Man, The Question, J'onn J'onzz, Rorschach, The Punisher or Hellboy, including Ultra-Humanite, Doctor Destiny, X-23, Shiera Hall, Floyd Lawton, Hank Pym, Steve Rogers, Hugo Strange, Vandal Savage, Nightwing, Daredevil, Preacher (Vertigo), Orion from New Genesis, BetaRayBill and Sentry. The sentimental value of paper and printed media itself in a digital age is part of Erdődy's passionate collecting habits, an instinct inheritade from numismatics experts in the family. Through constant rituals aiming the preservation of subcultural aspects and to seek the essence of comic book culture is dear to him. Erdődy wants to support basic ethics of the phenomenon behind popular culture, researching how legends live on in popular imagination, following up the fact that there is often truth in myth. As a considerable debater about many fictional universes he is looking for the occult ananthomy within popular myths. He is also researching the subliminal and the profound. The visual language and the structure of storytelling learned from particular games he has played are still traceable in his art to this day as well as in his written pieces. In some cases in poems we can discover his respect for Japanese culture, masterpieces such as Kwai-dan or Ghost in the Shell. This combination granted by the fusion of classical education and nerdy wiz-kidness is resulting in a rough harmony of plasticity and layerfold surfice-building with elements of (storyboard) concept art in his painting style. This ingenuity should be considered experimental as it is developing towards unique qualities. Some breathtaking details in structure and the usage of unexpected chemicals are still under investigation. So are the surfaces themselves as they are definitely resembling – archiving – the fascade surfaces of Budapest seen every day for the last 60 years, disappearing by the hour as gentrification proceeds. Interesting is also how Erdődy applies molten metal – rust converted back to a shining material – on wood just as he was experimenting as early as 2001-2002 in cooperation with Botond Bese (historic folklore instrument builder) engraving led into wood. As a means of decorating massive battle axes their research was succesful. This technique – the process of bonding the materials ready to get polished – Bese was executing within his blockhouse apartment. So does Erdődy with fluid metals in his studio flat today.

EPILOGUE

Erdődy's lectures on cultural history as well as his openly shared knowlegde on local history (things which are and things which were) mostly focusing on Budapest and Hungary reach out to photographers like Hermés Lucas (Magnum Agency apprentice), cameramen such as Sonya Deegan (Vikings), secretive bankers from Münich, schools from all over the globe and even a cloister from Izrael. These lectures are for small groups, sometimes in numerous locations after one another. Other times entirely mobilized, going on outings and even bicycle stralls. Snap back into gear means supporting. The donations pooring in Erdődy uses to support fellow artists and frequented pubs. The height of priviledge...

Other times while surfing the crest of overlapping social layers, destiny grants him conversations with people like members of the Colonna, the Windischgrätz or the Ghraoui dynasties. How does he show up at László Garaczi's halloween parties? One of his best friend's older sister Katie Macdonald being introduced to her husband by Hugh Jackman's brother? How does he get into these circles? Meeting two popes in a lifetime and being stored in the archives of "L'Osservatore Romano" Photographic Service 00120 Vatican City? Going drinking with Zsolt Barotányi or having a casual conversation about some overlapping common past with Büfé Puskás on a film set? Sitting at a table in the backstage of Magic Mirror on Sziget Fesztivál in 2005 with media personalities? Receiving „A Nap Hőse” (Hero of the Day) award by kintetic sculpting artist István „Édeske” Haraszty, a magnetic, molded and polished token, a pin out of raw metal given away during his show in Hold utca in a gallery known to have been part of Yoko Ono's businesses? Only to show up at Harasztï's birthday during the performance of Gábor Presser? Visiting László Lakner in his studio in Berlin behind the Hauptbahnhof? On other occasions people like John Domokos senior video producer (The Guardian) bump into him during a poster making workshop, which is a cover-up for a protest? Where? Being present at the gig of The Space Lady during her only tour coming from the States when she was already seventy plus? How? Or German actor Daniel Brühl discussing rip-off bancomats of the VII. district with him standing on the street? WTF? The descendants of Christopher Weimann – who himself rediscovered and reinvented the ancient Persian ways of marbling during the XX. century – are his friends? Buddies with DJ Palotai's wife? How did he have the chance to befriend the Gyertyás, an exceptional beat generation candle maker having had his shop on Bécsi út in Óbuda? How does Tamás Koltai, famous Hungarian theatre critic remember Erdődy's remark at a premier in Broadway Mozi after years? How can he had the same girlfriends Lívius Varga and Tibi Kiss (playing in the same band called Quimby) had? One of the programmers of Airbnb, a Swiss man called Mr. Fuchs living now in California showing up at one of Erdődy's events? He showing up at Izabella Zwack's private birthday party? Asking out AdHd – a band from Iceland – for drinks after their concert? How does he remember the colour patterns of József Antall, Hungarian Prime Minister's pijama and the hospital he was in? How did he establish connections with Tamás Herceg who ran HEAVY METAL, a pirate record shop on Marx tér (today Nyugati tér), who was giving advise to teens on how to rather pay a prostitue as to date somebody who's playing games with you? What is he doing at Zorán's Mamája, in the flat overlooking Gellért tér while Eddie Murphy is filming in Gellért Hotel? How does he know Laszló Csorba and Benedek Varga, directors of the Hungarian National Museum one after another? Sitting with Mónika Micura on the balcony of Katapult in front of the Central Synagogue as she is telling him in detail how Beyoncé used her voice during the opening of the Grammy Awards? Being present on András Pusztay's farewell party on 28th December 2018 as the editor in chief of index (a major opposition online magazine) is leaving the country after facing too many obstacles? As a cyclist knowing the favourite bicycle shop of Katalin Vad aka porn idol Michelle Wild? Does he know here too? Putting Balázs Szálinger – during one of his many secret dating trips to Kolozsvár – next to the heater with a blanket after the over-awarded literary figure blacked out while trying to keep up drinking with Erdődy in an establishment owned by Tibor K. called Spritz near the main square? In the same movie scene with Miklós Barcs? How is Soma Mamagésa (Gyöngyi Spitzer) asking him to sign a book of his only to have been seen attending the same venue, namely Cha Cha Cha in Kálvin tér underpass? Going out having drinks with Jenő Menyhárt's later wife sitting in the first Ellátó on Klauzál tér at the bar? How does he end up with Zsolt Bordos, leading mapping expert at a private cavern-pub-party? Documenting Rodion brough to Budapest by the Küss Mich duo, but how does he know that the legendary Romanian early electronics experimental musician only plays for Deutsche Mark at weddings? Exhibiting in the new Müszi (Közért) as the social space is still under construction? Having carrot cake while frequently listening in on Daniel P. Yung's conversations doing movie-script checking? Have been seen pumping limousine car tires in an underpass... (more later)