Join us for a conversation between photographer Adél Koleszár, sound artist Esteban De La Torre, and editor Zsuzsanna Koós on February 20 at 6 PM at the aqb Foyer.

The event marks the publication of the photobook Only Have Faith, released by APE (Art Paper Editions) in September 2025. Participants will reflect on the book's creation, focusing on how conscious editorial choices mirror the ethical sensitivity of the images—ensuring that the text does not over-explain or exploit trauma, but rather supports the respectful distance found in Adél's photography. The discussion will also explore the interplay between image and soundscape as distinct modes of documenting the invisible layers of loss and presence.

The conversation will delve into the socio-political context of systemic violence in Mexico and the ethical responsibilities inherent in the artistic representation of human suffering. By moving beyond the logic of mainstream media, the speakers will discuss how to provide a platform for marginalized voices through a practice that prioritizes empathy and respect over sensationalism.

The book will be available for purchase during the event, along with special edition darkroom prints.
The conversation will be held in English.

Art Paper Editions

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"For me, Adél’s work has always embodied a rare sensitivity—one where photography does not appropriate pain but restores the voices of those marginalized groups and individuals whom the world so often fails to hear.
In editing the book, my goal was to ensure the text reflected this respectful presence: to speak of trauma without reproducing it. Adél’s images consistently avoid direct, graphic representation, and it was vital that the text did not emphasize what the photographs intentionally leave unseen. Instead of 'explaining' the visuals, the text creates a layer for the invisible: the emotional spaces of loss, search, and uncertainty.
The book’s structure functions as a polyphonic soundscape. We balanced deeply personal, metaphorical testimonies from the women of Colectivo Solecito with a historical essay on the structural roots of Mexican violence, and a personal interview that provides an emotional anchor.
Working on this project was a profound lesson in the moral weight of editorial decisions. Every change touched upon real, living trauma. Our task was to find a tone that is precise, ethical, and emotionally true—one that does not soften reality but refuses to let the sensationalism of the mainstream media drown out these voices. For me, this book is proof that documentary photography can empathize without exploiting, and honor the silence behind the images." — Zsuzsanna Koós

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Adél Koleszár explores how systemic violence reshapes culture and identity, creating long-lasting changes in social structures, human behavior, and the self. Through photography, she collaborates with marginalized groups and individuals, highlighting their unorthodox yet constructive responses to violence, poverty, and segregation.
She is currently pursuing a DLA research program in Multimedia Arts at MOME in Budapest. Adél earned a Master’s degree in Fine Art Photography from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design after completing a BA in Social Sciences in Budapest. In 2013, she moved to Mexico through a Mexican Governmental Artist Residency Program, where she lived and worked for over six years. During this time, she developed multiple projects and publications, including a study on contemporary religions in Mexico, supported by Magnum Photos. She also conducted workshops in towns along the Mexican-U.S. border. Her work has been widely exhibited internationally, including in Berlin, Mexico City, New York, Arles, Vienna, and Łódź. It has been featured in Foam Spotlight, Vice Mexico, FotografiaMagazine, and Der Greif. She was named one of the British Journal of Photography’s "Ones to Watch" in 2018 and received the Robert Capa Grand Prize Fellowship in 2019. She has been nominated for the Joop Swart Masterclass, the Paul Huf Award, and the Prix Pictet 2024. In 2024, she was also awarded the Polycopies Publishing Grant.

Esteban De La Torre is a sound and new media artist born in Mexico City based in Budapest, Hungary. His practice focuses on defining thresholds and signal paths within a system in order to incite emerging environments into existence. Working between drone music and expanded psycho-acoustic minimalism he strongly pivots on the physicality of spatialized sound. Co-founder of the EJTECH collective, where his role as a sound and metamedia artist result into large scale installations, hyperphysical interfaces, multichannel sculptures, and programmable matter. He has performed, and his works have been exhibited at the Hirshhorn Smithsonian, the Japan Media Arts Festival, the Ludwig Museum, the Holon Museum, the Rewire Festival, Cyfest, EMAF, LOM, and the Prague Quadriennal among others.

Zsuzsanna Koós is a cultural professional whose work orbits the intersections of art, design, and everyday life through writing, life styling, and human interaction. Currently working as a producer with a light art collective and leading communications at art quarter budapest, she dedicates her energy to projects with a profound artistic and social impact. In her practice, Zsuzsanna explores how communication can be filled with genuine substance and value—acting as a bridge that brings art closer to people rather than distancing them from it. As a translator and English language editor, she contributed her expertise to the development of Adél Koleszár's photobook, Only Have Faith.