COURAGE

savienojot kolekcijas

A solo exhibition by Marijan Molnar was held in the Extended Media Gallery (Gallery PM) in Zagreb. The exhibition named "Common and Special“ lasted from 11 to 15 May 1981 and also included some of the works from the "For the Democratization of Art" cycle. The exhibition was well attended by the city’s cultural circle, and the main youth magazines (Polet and Studentski list) ran positive reviews on the exhibition.   

After the political police and the party leadership of the university encroached on the activities of the Közgáz-klub members, and mainly the organizing of the ‘Meeting of Students from Universities and Colleges in Budapest’ (Budapesti Egyetemisták és Főiskolások Találkozója –  BEFŐT), the bulletin Klub Közlöny was restricted as well. On the 29th of April 1981, the editor gave a response to the dissatisfied readers, who were disappointed because the newspaper had become “gray and trite.” The author responded that until recently, the bulletin dealt with the thwarting of university life, students’ real problems, and finally, they did not avoid the political issues either. At the meeting of the university committee, the university leaders stated that the Klub Közlöny was no longer allowed to publish articles that required journalistic activity. They condescendingly informed the editorial office that they could proceed in their activity, but only in this limited way.

After the success of “Solidarity” in 1980 a need for documenting its activity occurred. However, getting necessary equipment in socialist Poland was impossible. Luckily, help came from abroad, when the International Trade Union Confederation from Brussels donated to the newly established “Solidarity”, for its first congress, a video camera SONY U-matic HB, montage set and a hundred of cassettes. Thanks to the donation, the “Solidarity” News Agency [Biuro Informacyjno-Prasowe Solidarność] was extended with a Television Agency of “Solidarity”, run by Marian Terlecki. The first cameraman to use this equipment was Krzysztof Kalukin. At first independent “Solidarity” filmmakers documented the union’s most important events: public appearances of its leaders and meetings of its authorities. Soon the first documentaries were produced (the first was “Candidate” [“Kandydat”] by Marian Terlecki about Lech Walesa’s appointment as a leader). For Polish film makers the camera was an occasion to use the newest technology, unavailable in the country (especially for the opposition).