Róbert László Bácsi – The Way of Zen (Other Location: Foto Art Festival)

XI. Foto Art Festival
Adress: Villa of Theodor Sixt (Mickiewicza Street 24., 43-300 Bielsko-Biała, Poland)
On view: 10 - 26 October, 2025
The exhibition is on view at the XI. Foto Art Festival in Villa of Theodor Sixt in the city of Bielsko-Biała, Poland between 10 - 26 October, 2025.

Population growth, rapid technological advancement, and global capitalism have a negative social impact. The destruction of our environment forces us to reflect on the future. Most people live in big cities, caught in an endless cycle of work and rush while longing for harmony. Meanwhile, more and more people seek a life in line with nature, minimising ecological footprint.

I began photographing this family in 2016. They live in the Balaton Uplands, Hungary, in a small house without running water, relying solely on solar energy. Despite the challenges of daily life, they refuse to change their way of living because, to them, freedom is paramount. Their past was filled with adventurous travels, and their son, Zen, was born during one such journey in the mountain village of El Refugio, Mexico, at 2,600 meters in the jungle.

To them, true freedom means not selling your soul or becoming a slave to the system. They believe in choosing a vocation, not just a job. “You follow a calling, mastering it to share knowledge and to help others”, they say. Csilla teaches yoga, while Robi practices sound meditation, music therapy, and healing. They also earn a living guiding rock climbing and sea kayaking tours.

Zen, eight years old now, naturally embraces his parents’ way of life, shaped by their belief in a more peaceful future. They hold that, whether we realise it or not, life’s purpose is to free the spirit from the material world — a path they call enlightenment. They hope to pass this philosophy on to Zen, so that one day, he can freely choose his own way.