Only our love is certain
We received an invitation in the end of September to the Petofi Museum of Literature in Budapest to the premiere of a new play, „Magda, the Szabo”. The play was about the relation and love of the famous Hungarian writer Magda Szabo and her husband Tibor Szobotka. Three people took part in making of this new play, Nikolett Krajcsi in the role of Magda Szabó, her husband Tibor Meszaros, director of the play who played the role of her husband Tibor Szobotka as well and Gyongyi Porkolab, the producer and initiator of the play. The play was excellent, we enjoyed every minute of it, I can only recommend it to everyone. This picture is the result of this evening. When driving home after the show I talked already to my husband about my idea, how I would present this love with my own means. I knew already that a well known picture showing them will be in the centre of the picture, a phoenix will be figured and a bookshelf will be in the background. Phoenix has a double meaning in this respect. Tibor Szobotka called his wife to be a phoenix who takes a new lease of life every time on one side and the Magda Szabo was proud of her home town Debrecen, the symbol of which is a phoenix on the other side.
Finally I would like to present you the first reaction receivde about the picture:„I like very much the picture, you present Mgda in a new phrasing. In your picture not she is the more important but her husband about whom people know and speak much less. And not even her husband but the family itself in which Magda lifts up her eyes on him. This way of presenting strengthens the traditional Hungarian family roles. On the other side there is the burning light, the light of the phoenix visualizing the writer’s talent and also Debrecen in the same time. Books on the shelf image the classical knowledge. I have aleady seen similar pictures about the writer but only she was on the pictures alone in every case. This picture shows a different view, it points on the man in the background and lifts him up to her while presents their happiness as well and makes no accent on the dangerous period of time.” (Erzsebet Csaszi)
