The Lunch (in memoriam Batu Khan) – the first happening in Hungary

1/12Invitation card (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

1/12Photo: Gyula Zaránd (courtesy of Tamás St.Auby)

The happening was organized in the cellar of a private house by Gábor Altorjay and Tamás Szentjóby.
There were about sixty viewers. In addition to a short film and several photographs there are three detailed written descriptions of the happening: a review of the happening published by László Kamondy in the weekly magazine, Tükör; the recollections of Gábor Altorjay published two years later as an appendix to the article by Ottó Tolnai entitled “On the Newest Hungarian Poetry” in the Novi Sad Hungarian language magazine New Symposium; and a secret police report also written in 1968. All three texts differ at points regarding how and what happened, and what sense it made.

Documents:
Gábor Altorjay: The Lunch (in memoriam Batu Khan) (1968)
Anonym secret police officers: Summary report and action plan regarding happenings (1968)
The Lunch (in memoriam Batu Khan) – The first Hungarian Happening – n/8, b&w film, camera: László Gyémánt.