Born in 1992, Máté Lakos earned his BA at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in 2016, and in 2019 he won a photography scholarship from the Association of Hungarian Photographers with his series, Spatia Iustitiæ. At Punkt’s request, he now selects from his latest, ongoing series, which revolves around the difficulties of starting a life of one’s own.
I bought a flat on a 30-year loan. This means I’ll be in debt longer than I have lived so far. That is something that puts a lot of pressure on me. This photo series documents this situation. I began to take a look at the challenges of sustaining yourself, a global problem that defines the daily life of my contemporaries and myself.
If you’re just starting your career, it is almost impossible to purchase your own home unless you inherit property or your parents buy you something. The only option is taking out a loan—with a sufficient down payment.
My series looks at resources, one’s own and additional ones: my family helped with the down payment, I couldn’t have produced it on my own. Nor is renovating a flat a burden for me only; those who stand close to me are also involved in the changes that take place in my life. Detaching yourself from your parents is one of the most important steps on the way to becoming an adult. Physical independence is as important for the healthy adult as emotional, along with intimacy and privacy. The parental home provides security, but needs change after a certain age, and what was once a shelter turns into dependency over time as a result of adaptation and compromises. At such times, the concept of freedom appears in a new light.
