Peter Panyoczki

b. 1953, Hungary

PETER PANYOCZKI begins his studies at the University of Zurich (German language and literature, art history, and English literature) where he gets his Master’s Degree in 1980. Panyoczki was making various studies and teaches classes of language and art in the 80s before he started projects in Barcelona, Hannibal, a meditative travel and research on Vanities through Northern Africa. Born in Hungary, growing up in Switzerland, Panyoczki’s homesickness embraces the whole world. It connects the once separated power blocs through his place of birth Budapest in the East with Zurich in the West, the place of refuge of his family following the 1956 uprising in Hungary. By now, Panyoczki has lived for 25 years antipodal between Europe and New Zealand and has erected his immigrant life into an artistic standpoint.

As a multi-disciplinary artist, I aim to explore ideas relating to ‘transitional spaces’. Especially issues how our human condition is dealing with the fundamental questions of our origin and finite existence, coming from immigration, culturally displaced background. I am interested in how personal boundaries are constructed to define the purpose and even attachment towards a place. The personal connection one has to a place, which may not necessarily be a typical home, could also relate to a sense of familiarity, a tradition or a regular activity that becomes a part of one’s identity.