Culture

For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to unusual forms of expression and the idea of repurposing objects to do things they were never intended to do. For me, the purest manifestations of this idea were New York artist Tristan Perich’s 1-Bit Symphony and Noise Patterns records. They are essentially an electronic circuit mounted in a CD jewel case with a headphone jack on the side. I was so proud to have them in my collection that I even put them on my wall for display. ...

Being an avid podcast listener for a decade has the consequence of pushing them into the background and not paying much attention to the content. Fortunately, this time I was in an exploratory mood and came across a conversation with Tamás Sajó that triggered something. In addition to being extremely knowledgeable, Sajó is the most humble scholar I’ve ever heard. He can speak on any subject because of his vast knowledge, but he does so with the utmost respect. An art historian by profession, he worked at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and teaches medieval history and applied information science at CEU. After leaving the Academy, he founded his own publishing house, Studiolum. He translates books, holds online seminars and organizes thematic trips. According to the podcast – Az élet, meg minden – he speaks at least 15 (fifteen!) languages and can make himself understood in 15 more. ...