A Digital Journey into the World of a Visionary Painter

From 27th June, the legacy of one of Hungarian painting’s most iconic figures enters a new dimension. CODE’s latest audiovisual production, Csontváry – In the Language of Photons invites visitors on an exciting, multi-sensory voyage.

This immersive exhibition offers a captivating reinterpretation of Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka’s life and work. Evoking the spirit of the artist, the show reimagines his visual universe through contemporary digital media. Taking place across several spaces within the CODE venue, the experience reveals different perspectives on Csontváry’s artistry through visual storytelling, spatial design and digital art.

The exhibition’s grand opening featured tributes from prominent public figures, underscoring its cultural significance. Minister of Public Administration and Regional Development Tibor Navracsics highlighted CODE’s mission as a regional hub for creative communities. Gyula Porga, Mayor of Veszprém, described the immersive show as a powerful reimagination of a true Hungarian genius, one that holds its own on the international stage. Anita Kiss-Hegyi, State Secretary for Cultural Relations stressed the importance of value-driven cultural productions, noting CODE as a potential model for other institutions.

The exhibition was officially opened by László Baán, Director General of the Museum of Fine Arts, who praised Csontváry as a defining figure of Hungary’s visual heritage, drawing attention to the exhibition’s unique vision and its capacity to generate cultural value.

Long misunderstood, Csontváry is now recognised as one of the most influential figures in Hungarian visual culture. With a body of work comprising fewer than 150 paintings, his oeuvre has nevertheless attained iconic status. For the first time, the “painter of the sun path” is brought to life not on canvas, but through light, sound, and space - by means of digital art.

The exhibition aims not only to present but to recontextualise Csontváry’s artistic philosophy. Visitors do not merely observe, but feel what the artist sought: the cosmic order of light in nature, the vibrant metaphysics of colour, the energy of waterfalls, and the permanence of cedars.

The journey begins in the Experience Corridor, where a spectacular multimedia display guides visitors through the key stages of Csontváry’s life, from his childhood and years as a pharmacist to his emergence as an artist. Animated artworks, interactive features and art historical commentary help bring to life the painter’s worldview, his creative process and the cult following that developed after his death. The exhibition offers not only a biographical but also an emotional reading of his legacy.

From here, visitors enter the Studio, a space of contemporary abstraction, where Csontváry’s colours, motifs and visions come together in a floating, three-dimensional universe. This environment functions as an audiovisual poem, with light, music and movement weaving together to reflect the inner workings of the artist’s mind.

The journey culminates in the monumental Hexagon space, a 360-degree panoramic room where 3D reconstructions of Csontváry’s most important paintings unfold across five chapters. These trace his spiritual and geographical pilgrimage from Selmecbánya (Banská Štiavnica) to Baalbek, from the quiet of the Carpathians to the cedars of Lebanon. Visitors can quite literally step inside the paintings, transforming the experience into a full spatial immersion.

Csontváry – In the Language of Photons is not a traditional exhibition, but rather a creative artistic interpretation that fosters intergenerational dialogue. With this programme, CODE speaks both to dedicated lovers of art history and to those discovering one of Hungary’s most extraordinary geniuses through the medium of visual experience.