audio-walk, 15”
The Rehearsal takes place in Hungary in the early 1990s, after the fall of the regime, when the country opened its borders not only to freely leave for its citizens but for others to enter Hungary. Through listening and even taking part in a choir rehearsal by a chinese group in Budapest’s “china town” in Józsefváros Market. The rehearsal led us through the whole practice - from warm-up to singing and during the break chit-chat. The audio walk takes us to the present day and seeks for the role of the choir in the market’s “harmony”.
ENG: https://soundcloud.com/useless-galeri/the-rehearsal
HUN: https://soundcloud.com/useless-galeri/korus
SHANGHAI STREET - OFF-BIENNÁLÉ, 2025
Participating artists: Richárd Melykó – Haibo Illés, Zsófia Móró, Zsófi Paczolay
Consultants: Fanni Beck, Dávid Somló
Curators: Luca Petrányi, Fanni Solymár / Useless Galeri
Curator assistant: Benedek Farkas
“Who is the outsider, the foreigner, or the host?In the past decade, Hungary has seen the arrival of many people fleeing war or seeking economic opportunity. While some of these "outsider communities" remain invisible in the urban fabric, others stand out more prominently. Diasporic communities, shaped by social exclusion and distrust, often build tight-knit networks and create their own micro-worlds.Across the city, these "inverted spaces" take shape—local businesses run by immigrants, where unfamiliar goods, languages, and norms can feel alienating to majority society. One of the most complex examples is the Józsefváros Market, also known as the Chinese Market. Stepping inside, one can easily lose all familiar points of reference.But who is truly at home here? Whose rules apply?This project offers three self-guided walks through the market, inviting visitors to reflect on themes of home, security, otherness, and accessibility. Each walk opens up personal and collective perspectives on how we relate to unfamiliar environments—and how these spaces in turn reflect deeper social dynamics.”
- Useless Galeri