Tribute to Gabor Szilasi (1928-2026)
Presented for the first time on our premises in 2004, as part of the Face à face, Gabor Szilasi photographie le cinéma exhibition, this series features portraits of filmmakers associated with the camera (most often a film camera), offering an oblique commentary on the uniqueness of their approach to the lens. In their simplicity, these portraits demonstrate the photographer’s ability to re-create within the image the presence of the creator as he prepares to take the shot, just before he activates the camera for a frame of which we only see the angle, without dispelling the mystery that lingers just before the shutter clicks. We are adding to this series a portrait of the Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr, taken in Montreal in 1987 by Gabor Szilasi.
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Header: Portrait of Béla Tarr and Agnès Hranitzky, 1987, Hungary. Collections de la Cinémathèque québécoise.
Portrait of Marielle Nitoslawska taken for the Face à face, Gabor Szilasi photographie le cinéma exhibition. Winter 2004. Collections de la Cinémathèque québécoise.
Portrait of André Turpin taken for the Face à face, Gabor Szilasi photographie le cinéma exhibition. Winter 2004. Collections de la Cinémathèque québécoise.
Gabor Szilasi
Born in Budapest in 1928, Gabor Szilasi disembarks in Canada in 1957 with a suitcase in one hand and a camera in the other. He reaches the country by boat with his father Sandor, escaping the aftermath the 1956 Hungarian uprising. From his first years in Quebec, Gabor’s unique perspective on his land of welcome in the midst of the Quiet Revolution is quickly captured by his camera. From his sociological series showing life in rural Quebec, to his images of Montreal’s vernacular architecture, there is an impressive artistic coherence between the choice of his subjects and the use of his favorite theme: “the study of man and his habitat”. As an immigrant with a curious and fascinated eye, his point of view remains relevant in a world where migration is still a major international issue. As a dedicated humanist photographer and a witness of his time, Gabor is both chronicler and protagonist. He is an inspiring human being who loves to forge relationships with people.
Photo: Courtesy of Maison4tiers
