What Am I Doing in America Again?

The reason I am here goes back less than a year.

My wife — who is both my biggest supporter and one of my toughest critics — told me she wanted to see me create an exhibition about something truly serious.

If possible, she said, I should do it in New York.

I told her that was easy to say, but without the right subject there was no point planning an exhibition.

Then one day she found an article online about a Hungarian flag that had flown on the Statue of Liberty for around half an hour in 1956.

She loved the idea of creating a portrait exhibition for the 60th anniversary of the revolution.

The concept was to photograph Hungarians who had emigrated to New York after 1956 and whose later lives could serve as examples for younger generations.

I contacted Ildikó Nagy, director of the Hungarian House of New York, and asked what she thought about hosting the exhibition there.

She took the idea further.

If we were going to visit these people anyway, why not interview them too?

Two years earlier, I had already organised a photography exhibition in New York with Ildikó’s support.

That is how we knew each other.

She suggested October 2016 for the new exhibition.

She calculated that the Hungarian House could comfortably display around fifteen to twenty portraits together with accompanying documentation.

Then she began the detective work of finding the people connected to 1956.

We learned that plans for a memorial monument in New York had already existed for around ten years.

And the people trying to make that monument happen were exactly the people we wanted to find.

By May, our plan had taken shape.

We would create an article about each person in which they would talk about their own “Milestones” — moments and achievements that could carry value for people today.

In May I also had the opportunity to meet Ambassador Ferenc Kumin, Consul General of Hungary in New York.

After discussing the project with Ildikó, he included our exhibition among the official 1956 programmes of the Consulate General.

I also presented another big dream to him:

A photography exhibition on Times Square in July 2017, created together with others.

Over time, the kinds of “coincidences” I do not really believe are coincidences brought more and more helpers around us.

Only a few weeks ago I still had no idea how we would achieve all of this.

Today, the structure has largely come together.

Right now, I am sitting in a car with Ildikó Nagy, director of the Hungarian House, and journalist Gergely Szilvay, who began a nine-month placement there on 1 September.

We are travelling to meet architect László Papp, chairman of the New York 1956 Memorial Committee.

This is the first time the three of us have travelled together.

We have roughly one hundred kilometres to work out how the project will take shape over the next five weeks.

Our goal is to share the most interesting stories possible and create something lasting.

The first interview will define the structure for all those that follow.

So we created a detailed plan.

We arrived in Connecticut, a charming small-town environment.

If you are Hungarian, imagine roughly the distance between Budapest and Lake Balaton.

That is approximately how far we travelled.

We were welcomed warmly by László Papp and his partner, Enikő, in their home.

There we learned that the memorial they want to create has already been in preparation for more than ten years.

It will be financed through donations.

Many people may not immediately understand why such a memorial matters so much.

The simplest way I can explain it is this:

It is a message from one community to future generations.

The detailed “why” will appear in the articles, where László will explain the background much more fully.

Sadly, I often feel that Hungarians around the world are not particularly united.

Seeing these people, however — people who have lived through so much and who may think differently from one another but still come together for one shared cause — encouraged us to help with the tools we have.

Dear reader, this may currently mean very little to you.

But you probably have dreams too.

Dreams you cannot achieve alone.

Perhaps one reason they have not yet become reality is that somebody else feels just as neutral toward your dream as you may feel toward this project right now.

Naturally, there are always exceptions.

I believe we receive what we give.

If you help other people become happier, the world often helps you move toward your own happiness too.

Be grateful for what you have.

And try to look for the positive side.

I remember that the first money I set aside for this exhibition came from a CV portrait session on 9 December 2015.

Back then, I simply imagined being here and seeing the exhibition become real.

Now I am here.

And I imagine that five weeks from now we will be standing at a beautiful opening, looking at something we created that genuinely offers value.

There is still an enormous amount of work ahead.

But later it will be fascinating to reread what I dreamed about on this exact day and compare it with what actually happened.

After Connecticut, we returned by train to Grand Central Terminal.

It is a beautiful place and has appeared in countless films.

By the time we arrived, the sky had filled with heavy clouds and the rain began pouring.

New York weather apps can often predict rain almost to the minute.

It is worth paying attention to them.

We stepped into a small café only around twenty metres from Grand Central.

That café too has appeared in several films.

Because of the oceanic climate, New York weather can be unpredictable.

Summer can be brutally hot at street level and even hotter on subway platforms.

Inside subway cars, however, the air conditioning can feel freezing.

For exploring the city, I personally recommend spring from early May to around mid-June and autumn from early September to roughly mid-November.

In my experience, those are the most comfortable periods.

Since I have paused the story at a café, let me give you a small glimpse into food as well.

If we are here, we eventually have to eat. :)

When you walk all day, you burn energy quickly.

So what should you eat, and where?

In New York, you will find HALAL food carts on countless corners.

Some sell mainly drinks, pretzels and peanuts.

Others cook gyros-style meat, sausages, hot dogs and rice dishes on the spot.

At first, I was suspicious.

My imagination told me they might be serving the park rats. :)

Then I learned that these vendors are regulated and inspected.

So yes, try them.

My vote goes to chicken over rice.

Near Central Park, a meal with a drink might cost around twelve dollars.

In less tourist-heavy areas, you may find similar food for around nine.

My personal favourite is The Halal Guys.

I even made a live broadcast about them.

If you want alternatives, I would suggest two very different options.

One is Applebee’s, a more expensive casual restaurant chain offering a classic American experience.

The other is Subway, familiar from home, inexpensive and fairly consistent.

Personally, I would avoid relying on McDonald’s and Burger King.

Naturally, New York has an endless number of excellent restaurants.

For discovering them, Yelp is useful.

Now we are going to make another loop around Times Square.

I want to bring back one of my dreams:

That next year I might create an exhibition here on the Sony screen.

I think dreaming is a good thing.

Of course, dreams also require action.

And this is the first public place where I am officially mentioning the Proudest Fathers Project. :)

Sorry if today’s blog became slightly more spiritual than usual.

I simply wanted you to understand what motivates me and why we are doing all of this.

Part of the BANHALMI ecosystem

For the professional context and practical side of portrait photography, visit the BANHALMI professional website. Related art series, books and exhibitions are preserved in the BANHALMI ART archive.