“I have a recurring dream. The stars shine above me, as I am quietly sliding through dark alleys, exploring the moonlit courtyards of a city inhabited by none but me. There is no movement or sound, only my quick footsteps as I’m searching for something very important amidst the million buildings and objects once used and loved, now meaningless alien monuments glowing silvery in the night. I stop, as I reach a facade of an industrial building. I have found what I came for. The several dozen air conditioning units operate no more, but their peculiar formation speaks clearly, and straight to the soul. It is a holy sentence, or maybe just a word, but all is finally understood, and everything does make sense for a second. By the time I wake up, the meaning dissolves, but the feeling lingers on for a while, as I can’t stop longing for a life in which I would only need to photograph air conditioning units, and do nothing else.”
The Secret Life of External Units is a collaboration between photographer Máté Bartha, and Zsófi Rumi, and Árpád Szigeti from the Hungarian publishing house Hurrikan Press. In this project we’re impersonating someone who’s been blessed with the esoteric knowledge delivered by these ancient and wise, yet hugely misunderstood creatures: external air-conditioning units. But what do they have for us to tell? Does the one sitting in a dark alley feel alone and neglected? Do they find joy in the moonlight, or a summer breeze? Inspired by hermetic manuscript of the Renaissance, the project combines text, photography, drawing and 4-colour risography print, aiming to deliver all there is to know in the most practical form. And not without humor.
