enter smash 397: October 25, 1956

the In Memoriam: 1956 Revolution Memorial and Exhibition underground in Kossuth Lajos Square in Budapest is a memorial to Bloody Thursday, October 25, 1956, the day and place of the brutal Soviet massacre of peaceful unarmed civilians demonstrating in protest of the Soviet occupation during the Hungarian uprising

the year 1956 is cut out of metal walls on both sides of the entrance to the underground exhibition such that the walls cast a dark shadow but the year remains in the light

the contrast of the dark and light is complemented by the vertical and horizontal- the standing and the fallen

depending on where you are standing there is always something forward and something backward or upside down. something clear and simple against something difficult to comprehend

the artist's poignant use of the contrast of light and shadow is extremely effective. while the exhibition itself is certainly moving my most lasting impression is the year 1956 written in light where otherwise there is darkness.