Travelling Photographers – Let’s take a photo on a glass plate!
5 September, 10.00–17.00 / Courtyard of Dubniczay Palace
To mark the bicentenary of the birth of photography, a year-long programme of themed events is being launched. During the opening weekend, we welcome everyone interested in discovering the heritage of early photography through a series of special activities. In their lecture on the history of photography, Imre Zalka and Zsuzsi Ujj will introduce visitors to the techniques used to create ambrotypes — direct-positive images made on glass plates using the wet collodion process. If you have never been inside a working camera, now is your chance to make up for it. Following the methods of travelling photographers, the image is “developed” inside an inverted camera, and a paper print is then created using a 19th-century sun-printing process. The complete portrait-making process takes 30–40 minutes. During this time, participants can also join an unusual chemistry lesson led by Péter Laczkó, exploring the chemistry behind the photographic process.
Hommage á – Photography exhibition by Árpád Kiss-Kuntler
Opening: 5 September, from 5 pm / Dubniczay Palace
The opening exhibition in Veszprém of the season commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of photography presents an unusual selection of black-and-white photographs by Árpád Kiss-Kuntler, recipient of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award for Photojournalism. The exhibition is an intimate personal statement, bringing together, through the language of images and written reflections, the impressions and moods that have shaped the photographer’s self-expression over the years, forming a freely evolving intellectual legacy. The photo series, conceived as an hommage to great predecessors and outstanding contemporary figures, features artists such as Claude Monet, Henri Rousseau and Le Corbusier; writers including Béla Hamvas, László Krasznahorkai, the Brothers Grimm and Isaac Asimov; and scientists such as David Attenborough, Carlo Rovelli and Stephen Hawking — all figures whom the photojournalist regards as sources of inspiration and role models.
Q'ONOY – The Night of Fire – Photography exhibition by Pilar Pedraza
Opening: 6 September, from 4 pm / Dubniczay Palace
The exhibition takes visitors to the heart of Paucartambo, presenting the Virgen del Carmen ritual festival, one of the most vibrant celebrations in the Peruvian Andes. Lima-born photographer Pilar Pedraza has been documenting this extraordinary world for 11 years through participatory photography projects. With her camera and her own mask, she becomes part of these fleeting events, capturing moments shaped by light and fire. For three days, the life of the peaceful small town is transformed by twenty masked dance groups, whose movements embody ancient myths shaped by the community. Behind masks made of plaster, cardboard or fibreglass, the dancers engage in a dialogue with the gods, bringing to life mythical battles that reach back to the time of the Incas.
All our programmes are free of charge. We look forward to welcoming everyone.
