Hungarian artist Márton Nemes spent two years planning and creating his exhibition “Techno Zen.” In the summer of 2024, it became the centrepiece of the Hungarian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the world’s largest contemporary art exhibition.
A small Hungarian family business, Intertechnika, made it all possible – laser cutting and bending many of the abstract forms using TRUMPF technology.
In the early 2000s, Intertechnika discovered TRUMPF, and in 2002, they acquired their first machine – a TruMatic L 4030. From that point on, there was no turning back. The company introduced cutting-edge technology, including the automated laser cutting machine.
In 2005, Peter Alasztics (Intertechnika CEO) introduced art into the company. During his studies at the Visart Academy of Arts in Budapest, Alasztics met the artist István Ézsiás, now over 80 years old, who was interested in sheet metal production waste. As they began their collaboration, Alasztics began to think about how the family-run company’s machines could be used to cut and bend works of art.
While his brother Márton studied business administration, Peter trained as graphic designer. His Master’s thesis at the Institute of Art at the Berlin University of the Arts was about collaboration between engineers and artists. Gradually, he and the Intertechnika design team learned about the needs and desires of the artists, and translated them into reality.
Artist Márton Nemes has been working with Intertechnika since 2017. At the time, he was looking for someone who could cut a piece of sheet metal with a coating in rainbow colours. The material is so unique and costly that only Intertechnika had the courage to take on the challenge. “We had never seen material like it before – or since,” says Peter Alasztics. The cut proved successful, and Nemes remains satisfied with the outcome, presenting these works in many of his solo exhibitions.
Now an institution in Hungary’s art world, Intertechnika collaborates with the local art university, helping students to create their final projects each year. Peter Alasztics encourages his nine-person design team to push the boundaries. When using their machines to create unique pieces, they simultaneously learn techniques applicable to series production. For example, they have manufactured lamp housings for the iconic Széchenyi Chain Bridge over the Danube and tablet cases that are resistant to breaks, scratches and impacts for prison inmates – leveraging expertise gained from their art projects.
Contact: Ramona Hönl