21. 06. 2024 – 06. 10. 2024
Location:
Ferenczy Museum
Curator:
Judit Sz. Tóth
Opening:
20. 06. 2024., 5:00 PM
brochure
A frugal mentality and way of life was passed down through the generations of our ancestors as a distinctive element of peasant culture. Objects were valued and reused; their utility was extended for as long as possible. The exhibition aims to highlight the relevance of this thrifty approach in our own times: based on examples from peasant culture, it leads visitors through nine themes to the positive practices of today. Peasant folk living in harmony with nature made rational use of the resources the natural world offered them. There was no waste in their households; organic waste was returned to the natural cycles of the earth. Everything else was put away for future use because “it would come in handy sooner or later”. Nutrition also followed a cyclical pattern, with an annual rationing of food, frugal practices and recipes – of which visitors will also get a taste. Peasant folk followed different dress codes for celebrations and everyday life; clothing was handled with care and protected. Faded, worn-out clothes were given a modified function, for as long as it was possible. To illustrate this approach, exhibition goers are presented with an illustration of the “life journey” of two articles of clothing – an apron and a pair of boots – from “brand new” to “all patched up”. If something was torn, punctured or broken, attempts were made to repair it. Methods of mending and repair aimed at prolonging the life of everyday objects/tools and textiles were part of daily life; darning, mending and sewing were done in the home, while resoling, wiring and patching up pots and pans were left to specialists. While old, outmoded or defective household objects, such as chests, pots or pans, could be reused for other purposes, it was the reuse of raw materials that was especially prevalent. Rag rugs, clothes sewn from peasant skirts, tools and toys brought to life from pieces of wood – and with the spread of machinery and technical equipment, mechanical components and machine parts – all belong in this category. On the subject of recycling, mention must be made of “all-purpose” plastic, which – when it was first introduced and became widely used – proved to be a material of diverse utility in village homes. While this economical, frugal approach to life may have been devalued by consumer society to the point of non-necessity and worthlessness, we now increasingly find that it is a vital model to follow in our present time. Good practices and positive examples from today are presented in each unit of the exhibition. Interested adults will be actively involved in enriching the exhibition, and children will also be addressed in their own language.
In addition to showcasing material from the collection of the Ferenczy Museum Center, the exhibition also features – and is made more colourful by – objects on loan from county institutions and private individuals, as well as photographs, films, object histories and QR coded information.