Photographs by István Rácz

Photographer and translator István Rácz (1908-1998) was a key figure in Hungarian-Finnish cultural relations. 

His memorial plaque was unveiled at the entrance to the Liszt Institute on 13 December 2023, the 25th anniversary of his death. At the same time, an exhibition of Rácz's photographs curated by Dr. István Kecskeméti was opened in the Liszt Institute's U Gallery.

István Rácz moved to Finland in 1939, where he made his living mainly as a photoreporter. He fought as a volunteer in the war between the Soviet Union and Finland, and many of his photographs were published in Finnish magazines. After the war he returned to Hungary with his wife Anna-Maria (Maija) Lipsonen, but in 1956 they moved back to Finland.

In addition to his war photographs, István Rácz is best known for his photography of art and museum objects and the books he compiled about them, but his pictorial work was even more varied. Our exhibition features photographs of various subjects and situations, including commissioned work as a photographer, as well as images of children, the city and the photographer himself. The photographs are from the collections of The Finnish Heritage Agency and the Helsinki City Museum.

Liszt Institute, Gallery U

14.12.2023-26.1.2024

Mon-Fri 10.00-18.00 (closed 22.12.2023 - 2.1.2024)
Free entry