Visitors of the PsychArt24 art marathon had the opportunity to paint and draw for twenty-four hours from noon September 30, 2011 to noon October 1, 2011.  The nationwide unique event’s goal was to use the expression of art to decrease discrimination against the mentally handicapped and individuals living with psychosocial dysfunctions, as well as, to break the walls built by today’s society around psychiatric illnesses and their sufferers. The event provided opportunity for professional, outsider, amateur and art brut artist to work together in one space for twenty-four hours, for the second time.

The organizers prepared with 50 easels, 25 kg paint and 400 paintbrushes for the event. Dr. Lasjos Simon, psychiatrist, professor and president of the Board of Trustees for the Moravcsik Foundation, opened the program and said that the PsychArt24 is the introductory event of the 2011 World Mental Health Day event series. Next Emese Kovacs, the director of the Budapest Art Brut Gallery greeted the  visitors.  The art marathon was supported by the Hungarian Psychiatry Association, the Hungarian Alzheimer Association and the Hungarian Red Cross.

On this well organized event the clients, associates and volunteers of the Moravcsik Foundation assisted all participants to ensure a comfortable work environment. During the twenty-four hours of the art marathon 156 registered  participants created 257 drawings and paintings. All registered artists received the first volume of the recently published Karinthy Life -work, sponsored by the Kossuth Publisher.

The opening ceremony for the exhibition, which showcases the artwork created during the PsychArt24 art marathon, will be held on October 25, 2011 at 11 am at the Budapest Art Brut Gallery  (Kőbányai út 22., entry from Könyves Kálmán Ave.) For more information you can visit www.psychart24.hu and www.artbrut.hu. 

Translated by Agnes Csontos based on the article of Gábor Gémesi