Download a PDF Version of my speech here
Greetings –– Distinguished Dignitaries, Fellow artists, and Honored guests — WELCOME ––
[Pause. Warm smile.]
It is with deep humility and great honor that I stand before you as an American artist carrying within me the ancient roots of Hungary — a heritage that has shaped my art, my values and my belief in the power of culture to transcend borders.
And perhaps, I must admit,
it has also given me a fiery stubbornness,
a love of song and storytelling … and yes, even a deep … love … of Paprika.
[Smile. Let audience breathe with you.]
Together with my fellow colleagues from the American Artist Association, and the Chinese artists who proudly stand beside us; We present this exhibition as a living testament to the bond of International Friendship and to the creative spirit that unites us all.
These works of art are more than objects . . on
WALLS.
They are CONVERSATIONS
… across cultures … across language.
They are passports into our shared humanity.
They remind us that imagination itself is a form of diplomacy… and that artists, in their own way, are
Builders of Bridges,
not with steel and concrete, but with courage and imagination. For us Art is like a MIRROR reflecting who we are and a BEACON that lights the path of who we wish and might become.
Eighty years ago, from the ashes of world war, [breathe
Nations dared to imagine something extraordinary:
“THE UNITED NATIONS.”
[Pause.]They chose Dignity over Despair,
Dialogue over Silence,
Peace over Ruin.
The United Nations, too, sees this a MIRROR reflecting who these nations are, and a BEACON of light illuminating the path toward who they aspire to be
and all they hope to achieve.
That mission remains, to this . . very . . day,
Urgent and Needed.
Perhaps more Urgent – than . . ever before.
And walking quietly beside this mission … is Art.
For Art does not raise armies.
It does not draft treaties.
But it speaks a universal language
that reaches – where diplomacy cannot:
to the Human Heart.
The United Nations and artists share a common calling:
To Build Connection.
(say this slowly and clearly)
The UN – builds bridges between nations through diplomacy.
[pause]Artists – build bridges between people through imagination.
This exhibition before you today may seem as a
gesture …
yet it is a Gesture . . that . . Matters.
In a world strained by conflict, injustice, displacement and division., suffering and pain inflicted by egocentric obtuseness – We as artist affirm, through our work, what it means
to be human:
to be Fragile … to be Resilient … to be Aspirational …
and to be vulnerable
endlessly searching … and endlessly capable of beauty.
Every Act of creation that honors Life carries within it Hope.
It proves that Friendship is stronger than fear,
that Love speaks louder than hatred,
and that Beauty can outlast destruction.
And So – let us honor this truth:that the
mission of nations and the mission of artists converge ––
by meeting at the shared crossroads where;
The Nations United and Artist:
sculptors, painters, poets, writers, musicians,
photographer and actors
along with
diplomates, dignitaries and the world ––
Call us to choose Empathy over Enmity,
Dialogue over Silence, and
Unity through Diversity.
Peace over Destruction
May this exhibition remind us too –– that Peace —
like Art
is a nothing less then a continuous journey,
Forever renewed . . eternally rekindled . . endlessly restored
Again and Again
by Human Hands, and by Human Hearts.
This is the rhythm of peace, the breath of hope — the everlasting testament of integrity, the sacred crown of dignity, and the undying song –– of our shared humanity.
With gratitude,
I thank you for your presence,
your attention, and your spirit. And so may
art and dialogue
continue to Guide us …
toward a more peaceful world
filled with love, compassion, and understanding.
[deliver slow]
and to all of you
Kívánok nektek békét — Peace be with you. – Thank you. –– Köszönöm szépen