Sources used in this document:

The exhibition was a turning point for us. There was no turning back after that night in January. We had all shown where our allegiances were, and they were for Hungary, not the Communists. We knew Hungary was a great country, and could be great again. We knew that commerce and trade could thrive, and so could tourism. We knew the people should have better, cheaper housing, and the opportunity to work at better-paying jobs in the private sector. We knew we should have the ability to speak our minds and show our art whenever we wanted. These things would come, but we did not know it then. We only knew we were sick and tired of living under oppression and Communist fears. The Communists were paranoid, and afraid that everyone and everything was against them. They were right, but so many people lived in fear that the Communists still had us under control. We lived as if we were caught in time. Our clothing was outmoded by Western standards, and so was our technology. We saw the world changing around us, and we wanted more. It was a difficult time, and many people disappeared, never to return. The authorities did what they could to maintain their iron control, even if it meant destroying people and families in the process. They were evil, and I can say that now.

Later, we found out just how much trouble our exhibition had caused. Today, the papers about the exhibition are in the Hungary History Office's archives. You see, they kept files on us and on the exhibition. You can read how seditious the exhibition was, and what a danger it was to the political regime. There is also a thick folder on Gyrgy, codenamed "Painter," and compiled by a dizzying number of spies and informers. We were under more scrutiny than we even knew, and some of us are still very lucky to have survived those turbulent times. Soldiers walked the streets, and spies were everywhere. It was a terrible way to live, and hopefully, it will never happen in Europe again.

In conclusion, 1984 was a bitter year for us in Hungary. We thought we were on our way to freedom, but we were still stuck right in the middle of Communism. Today, we are free, and we enjoy one of the best economies in Europe. Then, we were under the chains of Communism, and we could not walk the streets without looking over our shoulders. We were frightened, and we felt alone and in despair. We wanted so much, and it was so difficult to create. Freedom is a gift, and today, the kids of Hungary almost take it for granted. They do not remember the bad times, or the people, like Gyrgy and so many others, that worked so tirelessly to help ensure the freedom we know today.