My doctoral research primarily focuses on the history and contemporary relevance of lithophanes is conducted as part of my Multimedia DLA doctoral studies (2022- ) at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest and as a guest researcher (2024) at KASK, Ghent. My supervisors are József Tasnádi DLA and Anna Keszeg PhD.
My media archeological research is intertwined with my artistic practice and my methodology is mostly based on Experimental Media Archaeology. This research has strongly influenced my art-making, resulting in developing 3D-printed lithophanes, a technique that I attempt to bring into the context of contemporary art.
“Lithophanes are thin, white objects measuring only a few millimetres in thickness. When backlit, a high-contrast, greyscale image emerges, created by the shadows cast by variations in thickness. Influenced by East Asian porcelain, the technique was developed in Europe during the 1820s and soon gained popularity in North America. Porcelain manufacturers primarily produced lithophanes as screens, diffusing the harsh light of candles and kerosene lamps, and decorated them with figurative scenes appealing to bourgeois tastes. However, with the advent of electric lighting, their popularity declined significantly. More than a century later, the emergence of 21st-century digital imaging and 3D printing technologies has unexpectedly revitalized the lithophane technique. This study seeks to recontextualize lithophanes beyond the history of applied arts, investigating their role as an early light-based mass medium. Lithophanes can be interpreted as the first light-based visual medium to appear in homes across Europe and North America. Examining this technique offers a framework for the rematerialisation of digital art. This paper explores the historical and cultural context of lithophanes, discusses the technique’s ties to Hungary, and analyzes its contemporary significance.”
– The abstract for my publication The Forgotten History of the First Light-based Visual Medium available in Hungarian at Apertúra
In July 2024, I held a Wax Lithophane Making Workshop at Hopp Ferenc Asian Art Museum, Budapest, in collaboration with Judit Bagi and organised by Aliz Farkas. With the use of a large light box, I invited the participants to
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