moonflower

2006-2007

Between 2006 and 2007, I photographed mothers living in shelter homes across various municipal institutions. One of these was the Moonflower Home for Mothers (Százszorszép Anyaotthon), which operated as part of the Rákospalota Correctional Institute and Central Special Children’s Home.

The shelter provided refuge for mothers—most of them escaping domestic violence—along with their children. Some were very young, juvenile mothers who had come from the Children’s Home connected to the institution. Mothers were allowed to stay in a shelter for a maximum of three years, after which they had to move to another home.

On 30 June 2006, the Ministry of Youth, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities closed the Moonflower Home. The closure meant that the mothers could no longer remain there, and social workers had to find solutions for each family. While this was a difficult transition, fortunately, placements were found for all of them in other homes across Budapest. Mothers who had originally come from the Girls’ Home were allowed to remain in the institution itself, while others were relocated.

It was around this time, as the home was preparing to close, that my photographs were taken. When the Moonflower Home closed, the following farewell speech about the mothers’ future was delivered:

“Before I became a mother, I did not know the feeling when your heart is outside your body. I didn’t know how wonderful it is to feed a child. I didn’t experience the tie between a mother and a child; I couldn’t imagine how important a child can be. Before I became a mother, I never woke up in the middle of the night every ten minutes to check if everything was okay with my child. I have never felt such tenderness, pleasure, happiness, love, care, and miracle until I became a mother. I have never thought I was capable of such feelings before I became a mother.”

main exhibitions:

2023: Handle with care. Ludwig Museum, Budapest (curator: Viktória Popovics, Rita Dabi-Farkas)
2010: Campus PHE Edicion de Libros, Complejo El Aguila, PHE 2010, Madrid
2011: Contemporary Photography from Hungary, Berlin, (curator: Gabriella Csizek)
2008: Contemporary Hungarian photography, Collegium Hungaricum, Vienna, (Curator: Gabriella Csizek)
2008: Present continuous – Mai Manó House of photography, Budapest, (curator: Gabriella Csizek)
2008: Contemporary Hungarian photography, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, (curator: Gabriella Csizek)
2008: Contemporary Hungarian photography, Hallescher Kunstverein, (curator: Gabriella Csizek)
2007: Krakow Month of Photography, (curator: Gabriella Csizek)
2007: Among people, Warsaw, Fabryka Trzciny, (curator: Gabriella Csizek)
2007: Present Continuous, Budapest Gallery, (curator: Gabriella Csizek