Psychart24 painting marathon in Szeged

Psychart24, a successful anti-stigma program of the Moravcsik Foundation was held in Szeged from noon on Friday, October 7, until noon on Saturday, October 8. The 24-hour-long painting marathon was opened by János Kálmán, M.D., D.Sc., head of the SZTE Department of Psychiatry, Psychart24's organizing institution in Szeged.

Psychart24 offers a safe place for creation, where people with mental illnesses can paint side-by-side with people who do not suffer from the same conditions. The program is an opportunity to experience the joy of creation and the ability to create value and strengthen mutual acceptance.

From year to year, the event brings together patients and healthy people, adults and children, old and young, amateur, art brut, outsiders, and professional artists to create in an environment free of prejudices. This year, the art marathon was held in four Hungarian cities - Budapest, Debrecen, Szeged, and Pécs - however in Szeged the event was held a bit later than in the rest of the country.

On closing the 2022 event, Prof. Kálmán said that this was the richest Psychart24 marathon so far in Szeged, with 239 registered participants, and around 280 finished paintings. He also expressed his happiness on seeing returning faces, both among the participants and among the organizing team, which he considers a sign of the event's success.

After the event, an expert jury selects works that will be featured in a traveling exhibition, starting at the end of 2022 in Budapest, and traveling to all participating cities. The previous Psychart24 exhibition in Szeged, showcasing the works of the 2021 event, ended on September 18, 2022.

Images by Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify