MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
III/III-4-b subdivision
TOP SECRET!
B u d a p e s t, 9 April 1980
E X T R A C T
from the report dated 1 April 1980
by secret agent with the alias “Zoltán Pécsi”
(about the Hungarian Avant-garde Museum and Artpool)
(excerpt)
Galántai shared new data about the development of the “Art Pool” art collection he is building. He has been recently receiving various materials sent to his address from many countries. At the time of our conversation he had about 100 copies of a booklet titled “Art Pool Window, Periodical Space” on his desk. According to Galántai, the materials he receives by post arrive on a mutual basis: he only receives something if he sends something else and he mostly sends a copy of the booklet “Art Pool Window”.
It also happened that he sent other writings and graphic works abroad, but he shared no more details about them. Galántai pasted some of the materials he received by post on boards that are in the largest room of his flat set up as a kind of exhibition hall. As he himself said, the main objective of this was for him to have a better overall view of the various types of materials. The way he displayed these materials clearly makes it possible for him to exhibit these materials to others at a private show. Galántai openly mentioned the possibility of this.
The materials include luxurious printed booklets and books made at great expense – mainly from Italian and American senders –, which do not contain any directly political or inciting writings. However, these only represent a small proportion of the collection; the rest of the material can be surveyed at a later date. There are some compilations of the collection which are made up of two pages of ‘works’ each section made – manually – by different artists using different techniques, including manuscripts, drawings, prints. Galántai received many ‘works’ for the call for an exhibition titled “Textile without textile”, which he published in the already mentioned publication. These include pieces by domestic and foreign authors alike.
Tibor Horváth, 1st lieutenant
Registry number: 4/5-316.