(Photo: The Refreshment Point, 2022)
Madaras József Square is a green island in a hidden corner of Budapest. Its location makes it an invisible zone, unknown to the people of the capital. It is a resting place for local children, some pensioners and residents of the surrounding homeless shelters.
It is a space that the city has almost abandoned. Empty of attention. Out of reach, invisible and unknown, a protected enclave and a space of possibility: in a repressive, authoritarian regime, such a public space is a peaceful refuge because, by its very nature, no one looks there.
A 350 metre long track surrounds Madaras József Square. This track was probably laid by the municipality in the mid-2010s for rehabilitation/recreational purposes. Since then its use has been very low, with 2-3 people running on it every day.
(Video stills, Örök körök, 2022)
We organised a 60 hour relay race on this track and occupied the square for the duration of the event. We used found materials to build our refreshment point, kitchen, bench and changing rooms. The baton was a gong and the runner rang the gong after each lap. We occupied the square inside the magic circle for as long as the relay lasted. Over 1500 laps were run by around 100 volunteers for 60 hours without a break. The square became a place of unexpected encounters for even more visitors. Everyone was welcome to enjoy our Eternal Soup and Eternal Lemonade.
The project was realised in the framework of Public Art Ferencváros.
