0036 Mark not only has the ability to create a time machine, but to actually transport us back to our childhood, or whoever's life we want to be. He fills his work with meticulous detail and cryptic allusions, so we are constantly in for a joy of searching, insight and discovery.
0036 Mark – I have the power to build a time machine exhibition at the Unmute Gallery. This gallery also functions as a shop where you can buy graffiti accessories and props. I often wonder if it is not a contradiction in terms to enclose street art within walls as an elusive, ever-changing, never permanent, untamable art.
The Unmute Gallery and at each of his exhibitions, he gives me the answer and proves to me that it is not all wrong. The gallery is a wonderful and unique opportunity to get to know the artists whose work we see outdoors, on the walls of legends and in the streets. It helps us understand them better and see their work in a different context.
This was no different in the case of 0036 Mark, and those who have been following his work for some time will be used to his restless way of constantly stepping out of his comfort zone and experimenting with new techniques (to our great delight). The exhibition also included the usual paste-ups on the gallery walls, which gave a familiar feeling, as you have the opportunity to stumble across Mark's work wherever you go in the city. In addition to these, we were able to view paintings, augmented reality paste-ups and works that step out of 2D space.
What is fantastic about Mark's work is that he not only transports us back to the fairytale world of our childhood, but also brings out our treasure-hunting childish selves, filling his works with meticulous details and secret hints, so that we are constantly in the joy of searching, discovering and discovering.
The opening piece, which is „Lil Mézga Legs” is a tribute to the work of Martha Cooper, who has been active in graffiti art and hip-hop from its beginnings to the present day, and who has followed the subculture. In this image, Aladar presents himself as Lil Crazy Legs, reflecting on an iconic break dancer. The background of the image is the work of Martha Cooper, who has been dedicated to capturing the graffiti scene since the 1970s.
In another work, Márk's art already steps out into 3D space to Lusta Dick come to life on a milk carton. Previously seen on the streets in the form of a paste-up, this design has now become tangible. Mark's work can also be found in the Corvin district as part of a public space intervention, where until now mainly sacral monuments were found.
The milk carton is a reflection of a phenomenon where milk cartons used to have pictures of missing children on them. This had such a profound effect on children at the time that they collectively started to stop drinking milk, associating it with the fear that if they drank milk they would be missing from the carton. With this work, Mark is already opening up to public art.
The Ho-Ho-Ho Fisherman a new dimension of angling that opens up a whole new layer of meaning. The free downloadable Artivive app opens up a world where the character from the 70s TV series "The Shark" meets the universally loved Main Cat.
Márk has already delighted the man in the street with a similar creation, as in Drum Street, the well-known little girl character from the film The Circle climbs out of the innocent television set of our childhood. Mark thus shapes his environment, to which he also adapts, and at the same time fills it with life, makes it move and in many cases reflects on social phenomena.
The real time-bomb, however, is the unremarkable supporting character in Beauty and the Beast, Mr. Tik-Takwho becomes the main character here. This work was created by Márk using 3D printing, which shows the artist's experimental spirit. Mr Tik-Tak symbolises how our childhood innocence is threatened over time and is approaching detonation in our souls like a kind of time bomb. It is up to us to cut the cord that is attached to the TNT rods of growing up.
The question, which carries the tension of action films, is which string to cut, or can we save ourselves from the challenges of the adult world?
The last piece in the exhibition is like a hidden treasure that is not offered to us on a plate, but can only be seen from a good angle and with interest. Tinker Bell lying sprawled on a bookshelf in the gallery, struck by the flytrap of ageing. It is painful to realise that the final blow has been struck by none other than Peter Pan himself. Wendy and her companions have gone home from Neverland, and Peter Pan is determined to look at the world with a more adult mind.
In Márk's work he has captured this decisive moment, an emotional and spiritual journey, where 3D printing and light play combine in a wonderful way, opening up new dimensions in Márk's art.
In his various works, Márk uses a variety of materials and tools, as he goes from police tape, through plaster, to virtual space, to the grid, to take the previous works to the next level and offer us something extra each time.
I have presented the works in a non-exhaustive way, so that the next time you come across one of Mark's works, you will have the opportunity to stop and look at more than just the surface of the painting. Each time, we can discover the tattoos of the characters, reflecting the personality of the character. Discover the small, hidden references, the humorous ideas that always bring a smile to your face as you dive deeper into the world of the artwork.
Let us look at Mark's work as a hint of gift and opportunity, offering us a way back to our childish selves.
