Tibor Hajas (1946, Budapest – 1980, Szeged) is one of the most-renowned Hungarian artists of the 1970s underground scene, especially in the areas of performance, actions and conceptual art.
He was suspended from his university studies due to participating in street protests but was later pardoned.
Some of his early actions, created in the mid-1970s, were made in the spirit of Fluxus. After 1978, Hajas created performances using his body, photographed exclusively by János Vető. Hajas met the artist and musician János Veto in 1974 and continued to collaborate for the rest of his life. In these works, Hajas pushed his limits in ritualistic and theatrical movements, self-destructive performances of disturbing impact. His inspiration came from Vienna Actionists and Eastern and Tibetan philosophy. Some of his notable photo-performance series include Húsfestmény (1978), Felületkínzás (1978), Képkorbácsolás (1978). He created several experimental films and videos, including Öndivatbemutató (1976).
He participated in the Chapel Studio exhibitions in Balatonboglár and exhibited in the Club of Young Artists in Budapest. Hajas was also a poet and a writer. His poems were first published in 1967, and he wrote essays and a novel.
Hajas died in a car accident in 1980 at the age of 34.