The excerpts published on the newspaper poster of the exhibition titled “Underground Art in the Aczél Era” and those found below come from György Galántai’s selection of contemporary documents and official letters.
“Radical groups are working on developing the ideological framework for a multi-party bourgeois society.
They have been exerting influence upon members of the Neo-Avant-garde fine art circles and university students.
A call to our operative agents:
– besides open measures, you should apply tools such as operative prevention, dissolution, separation, isolation, creating conflicts, exploiting and deepening existing conflicts, character assassination of the leading figures, etc. [Dossier codenamed “Painter”]
– use crimes and the violation of rules of a non-political nature committed by individuals and groups hostile to our cause in order to undermine their credibility.”
NOTIFICATION 1
“I regret to inform you that your application for a private passport for official travel is rejected.
We are hereby returning the attachments you submitted with your application (letters by the Hungarian Atelier and the Neue Galerie in Graz).”
NOTIFICATION 2
“Please be informed that the Fine and Applied Arts Lectorate does not support your participation at the Posnan Fine Arts Exhibition of 1970, to which you received an invitation from the Office of Fine Arts Exhibitions; taking into account the statement issued in this regard by the ministry, it has been decided that your works cannot be transported to Poland.
Explanation: The exhibition of works by the group of invited artists represent an approach that does not fit in with the programme of foreign exhibitions planned for this year.”
DECISION
“Your application for a visitor passport is rejected pursuant to paragraph (3) of section 9 of government decree no. 4/1970/III.3.
Explanation: I decided thus because the applicant already travelled abroad in 1974. In accordance with the decree named above, one visit abroad is permitted every two years.”
More documents: