UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 5, Page 13
September 28, 1995
Art symposium honors Laszlo Moholy-Nagy

     An international panel of scholars will gather in Clayton Hall
Friday, Oct. 20, for a symposium devoted to the life and works of
artist Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Sponsored by the University Gallery and the
Department of Art History, the symposium, "Laszlo Moholy-Nagy:
Translating Utopia into Action," is planned as an observation of the
centenary of Moholy-Nagy's birth.
     Art and design historians from Hungary, Canada and the U.S. will
draw on Moholy-Nagy's engagement with numerous theories and media to
present interdisciplinary papers and lead discussions about Moholy-
Nagy's global influence as an artist, philosopher and educator.
     This all-day event is the first symposium in the mid-Atlantic
region to deal with this multifaceted visionary who held the
progressive view that art has the power to unify and energize modern
society.
     The breadth of Moholy-Nagy's impact is evident in the variety of
topics to be treated in the symposium.
     The morning session opens with Lloyd C. Englebrecht of the
University of Cincinnati providing observations on the occasion of
Moholy-Nagy's centenary. The rest of the early session is devoted to
three speakers: Krisztina Passuth of the Etovos Lorand University,
Budapest, who will present "Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and the International
Avant-Garde"; Eleanor Hight of the University of New Hampshire, who
will speak on "Vision in Motion: The Photography and Films of Moholy-
Nagy"; and Oliver Botar from the University of Toronto, who will pose
the question "Laszlo Moholy-Nagy: A Biocentric Artist?"
     The afternoon presentations include Eva Forgacs of the Hungarian
Academy of Crafts and Design, Budapest, and the Art Center College of
Design, Pasadena, discussing Moholy-Nagy's interpretation of the
Bauhaus idea as developed in his writing in the "Bauhaus Bucher"
series and as it appears in his set designs.
     Alain Findeli of the University of Montreal will follow,
addressing Moholy-Nagy's educational theories and pedagogical work in
both Germany and Chicago with the paper, "Is Moholy-Nagy's Pedagogy
Relevant for Today's General Education?" After describing and
commenting on Moholy-Nagy's pedagogical system, Findeli will show how
its underlying philosophy could assist in solving some of the most
critical problems facing the contemporary educational system.
     Jeffrey Meikle of the University of Texas at Austin will consider
Moholy-Nagy's book, Vision in Motion (1947), in comparison to Harold
Van Doren's Industrial Design: A Practical Manual (1940) in
"Negotiating Modernity: Moholy-Nagy and American Commercial Design."
     Victor Margolin of the University of Illinois at Chicago will sum
up the day's proceedings with a discussion of "The Utopian Legacy of
Moholy-Nagy: Reflections at the Dawn of the 21st Century."
     Steven Mansbach, noted specialist in the Eastern European avant-
garde and currently director of the American Academy in Berlin, will
moderate the program and close the day's proceedings with concluding
remarks.
     Audience members will have opportunities to ask the speakers
questions during discussion periods scheduled for both morning and
afternoon sessions. A less formal exchange among attendees and
panelists is anticipated during the luncheon and the symposium's
closing reception from 5-7 p.m. in the University Gallery, where a
special viewing of the accompanying exhibition "Laszlo Moholy-Nagy:
From Budapest to Berlin, 1914-1923" is scheduled.
     The exhibition is on view in the University Gallery until Dec.
17. From there, it will travel to the Illinois Art Gallery in Chicago,
where the works will be exhibited from Feb. 16-April 12.
     The centenary tribute also includes a film festival, which will
showcase Moholy-Nagy's foray into avant-garde cinema and provide
contextual support for the symposium and exhibition.
     Cost of the symposium is $25 for the general public and $15 for
students. For registration information, contact Clayton Hall
Conferences and Centers at 831-2261 or by fax at 831-2998.
     The symposium and related activities are made possible, in part,
by support from the Office of International Programs and Special
Sessions, and the Office of the Provost at the University of Delaware,
the Unidel Foundation, the Delaware State Arts Council/Division of the
Arts, the Trust for Mutual Understanding and through private
contributions.
     For information on any aspect of these events, contact the
University Gallery at 831-8242 (voice), 831-4330 (fax); 831-4552 (TDD)
or via e-mail to Belena.Chapp@mvs.udel.edu.