Martin Wanda, Martin Gábor: The Ballad of Eternal Youth

"Four decades and many thousands of kilometres separate the twenties of photographer Martin Wanda and his father, photographer Gábor Martin, and the partying of their twenties. Wanda photographed young people having fun in East London today, while Gábor photographed young people having fun in Békéscsaba in the 1960s and 1970s." (Index)

Although the two times and places could in theory hardly be further apart, the similarity of the technique (black and white 35mm negative), recurring fashion and hairstyles means that when pairing these photographs, it is sometimes hard to focus on which was taken now and which forty years ago (apart from a few hidden details like a smartphone, laptop or even a portrait of Lenin behind the DJ booth). The juxtaposition of the images shows that the desire to relax, to love, to dance, to forget everyday life is timeless, independent of political regimes and ore, no matter when or where one is tempted to stay out all night.