No Credit

The ongoing project No Credit took shape as a photographic series that began in 2019 in Heves County, a region in Northern Hungary where the Hungarian photographer, Zsófia Sivák, was born and raised.

The project delves into rural life in Heves County, exploring both the local culture and the role of pubs in the community. Over recent years, many of these places have been closed, rebuilt or repurposed for various uses. However, with this series Sivák highlights that pubs have traditionally played a vital role, serving as a form of safe space for residents – a place for open, informal conversation, where locals could share life’s daily struggles and truly listen to one another. Sivák notes, “The pub was the place where no one asked you, but someone always listened to you.”

This pub culture, which reflects both the social class and the current character of Hungary’s countryside, is captured through her concept of a pattern that recognizes and represents rural Hungarian life.

For this series, Zsófia Sivák has visited the remaining pubs in Heves County's small settlements, each with populations under 3,000, to document the patrons who regularly visit these spaces. Through her photographs and accompanying interviews, Sivák compellingly amplifies the voices of those witnessing the fading of pub culture.

As the pubs of Heves County continue to vanish, the future of the community hangs in uncertainty. These once-vital gathering spaces, where people came together, shared stories, and found comfort, are giving way to the forces of modernization and urbanization. The residents, especially in smaller settlements, face the challenge of adapting to a landscape that no longer offers the informal hubs that fostered connection and mutual support. Without these communal spaces, the risk of isolation grows, particularly among older generations and those tied deeply to the rural way of life. 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Zsófia Sivák was born in Eger in 1993 and completed her photography studies at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in 2019. She currently works as an art teacher and freelance photographer. Her work focuses on documentary photography, particularly projects that allow her to engage in long-term collaboration with communities, documenting their daily lives objectively while exploring subjective associations. Much of her work centers on rural life which is influenced by her personal background. Growing up in a small village in eastern Hungary before moving to Budapest for her studies, Sivák developed an objective, systematic approach to observing and documenting her surroundings.

Zsófia Sivák has participated in numerous exhibitions, showcasing her work in galleries and institutions, and has also received multiple awards. Futures Talent, representing the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, Amsterdam (2021). József Pécsi Fellowship for Art Photography (2021). 39th Hungarian Press Photo, documentary photography, 1st place (2021). József Pécsi Fellowship for Art Photography (2020). Capa Contemporary Photography Center, Budapest (2020). It is good everywhere, but., MODEM, Debrecen (2020). Magnum Workshop, Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center (2019). 35th Hungarian Press Photo exhibit, Capa Contemporary Photography Center, Budapest (2017). There is Something about My Family, FotoDok, Utrecht (2016).

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zsofiasivak/