The National Arts Centre celebrates the innovation and creativity of Hungarian-Canadians on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution.

For over one hundred years, Hungarians have found a home in Canada. Recently arrived Hungarians and succeeding generations of Hungarian-Canadians have reinforced the connection between two countries and cultures. On the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution – the defining historical event that brought so many Hungarian refugees to Canada seeking freedom and opportunity – it is fitting to celebrate the extraordinary contributions to Canadian society made by Hungarian-Canadians in so many fields of endeavour.

Joining the National Arts Centre in producing and presenting events that commemorate the Revolution are: Library and Archives Canada (including the Portrait Gallery of Canada), the University of Ottawa, the CBC’s Documentary Unit, the Canada-Hungary Education Foundation, the Canadian Film Institute, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary and the Canadian Embassy in Budapest.

NEW LIVES

50 Stories Chronicling the Hungarian-Canadian Experience
Portraits by V. Tony Hauser

October 5-22, 2006
National Arts Centre, Southam Hall foyer and mezzanine

October 27-28, 2006
The Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto

November 18-December 2, 2006
Allan Lambert Galleria, BCE Place, Toronto

December 8-January 31, 2007
Pier 21, Halifax

Commissioned by the National Arts Centre, this exhibition of fifty portraits by noted photographer V. Tony Hauser, presented together with the portrait sitters’ own words and memories, pays homage to these distinguished Hungarian-Canadians and their passion for Canada.  The National Arts Centre gratefully acknowledges the contribution of Library and Archives of Canada to this exhibition. All photographs from this exhibition have been accepted as a donation by the Portrait Gallery of Canada, a program of Library and Archives Canada.

NEW LIVES features 50 portraits of the following distinguished Hungarian-Canadians. We are honoured by their participation in this project.

V. Tony Hauser
Mr. Hauser is one of Canada’s finest photographers. He has spent over thirty years developing his craft as a portrait and fine art photographer. Renowned for his portraits, Hauser chooses to work in black and white for both its aesthetic qualities and its permanence. He is a member of the Toronto-based photographers’ collective PhotoSensitive, whose manifesto is to harness the power of the camera to achieve social goals. V. Tony Hauser’s work is included in the collections of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography and Library and Archives Canada. His portraiture has been the subject of several books, including Facing Artists and The Power of Passion.

Canada and the Hungarian Revolution
October 5-22, 2006
National Arts Centre, Southam Hall mezzanine

This companion exhibition, presented by Library and Archives Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and Foreign Affairs Canada, marks the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution. Using archival documents and photos, as well as contemporary reportage, the exhibition explores Canada's reaction to the uprising that erupted in Budapest on October 23, 1956 when rioting students and workers rebelled against the Soviet-backed Communist government. After briefly retreating from the Hungarian capital, Soviet troops returned in November, crushing the revolt and driving thousands of Hungarians into exile. The exhibition reflects popular outrage in Canada at the Soviet Union's determination to extinguish Hungarian aspirations for freedom, and traces the efforts of the federal government to respond to the crisis by relaxing immigration requirements and finding a way to accept Hungarian refugees.