The work of the graphic artist Ákos László can now be seen on the firewall of the building at 28 Piac utca facing Gambrinus köz. The wall copy of the ‘The Artist and the City’ graphic was presented on July 3, 2023.
Deputy Mayor István Puskás recalled that in recent days, several news reports about the work have appeared online, and the people of Debrecen already feel addressed in relation to this work, which was created as a result of an exemplary collaboration. As he said, he is confident that new, similar collaborations can be created and that public works displaying Debrecen’s identity will decorate the city in as large a number as possible. He emphasized that they would like to revitalize the downtown of Debrecen and expand the cultural life to the largest possible area of the downtown.
The main actors of the collaboration are the artists, Ákos László, who is one of the iconic figures of our city and a true Debrecenian who, although he was not born here, found a home here in the city and in this way can represent the traditions of Debrecenism – said the deputy mayor. He emphasized that Debrecen is a welcoming city, and anyone who can identify with this community, who wants to be a useful and active member of this community, will be welcomed by the city with pleasure. He added that the other protagonist of the teamwork was the Grafik Trafik team, who created the work itself.
Ákos László recalled a 2015 award ceremony and expressed his gratitude, then quoted from his favorite poet, János Székely from Marosvásárhely.
Edit Erdei, the general manager of Cívis Ház Zrt. emphasized that Ákos László’s art is captivating, as well as his humanity. He noted that for them, as a company so active in the city center, every activity, attraction, and appearance is important, and with this extraordinary work they can show the city another exciting surface, and the wall paintings can also be a journey through the city center.
Tünde Szabó, the deputy director of the Méliusz Juhász Péter Library, spoke about the fact that a few years ago, many programs, literary events, and publications of local historical importance were made possible and handed over to the people of Debrecen. As he said, today is one of the outstanding events of these few years, and the fact that Ákos László’s work could be placed on this wall crowns these few years.
The mural artist Tamás Vékon revealed that after the long preparatory work, it took five days to completely paint the nearly 260 square meters of wall surface, during which a copy of the graphics of an iconic artist from Debrecen was painted.
(Debrecen City Hall)
