A vanished dream world The Grassalkovich Mansion’s Hatvany era MúzeumCafé 33. author: Katalin Borossay, art historian To write about the condition of the Grassalkovich Mansion in Hatvan during its Hatvany era is sad and gratifying at the same time. It is sad because the destruction and conversions due to function changes during and after World War II almost completely destroyed the mansion’s historically built spaces and ruined its interiors. It is […]
Studios and experiments The exhibition World Models at the Hungarian National Gallery MúzeumCafé 33. author: PetrányZsolt Petrányi, art historian, head of the Contemporary Collection at the Hungarian National Galleryi Zsolt művészettörténész, a Magyar Nemzeti Galéria Jelenkori Gyűjteményének vezetője The Hungarian National Gallery’s temporary exhibition World Models was set up with the intention of trying to provide an opportunity for visitors to see a part of the collection which is not displayed permanently. The gallery’s Contemporary Collection, which includes 10,000 works, is a collection and archive of post-1945 Hungarian art history and has been […]
Will the exhibition about the relationship between Cézanne and the past in the Museum of Fine Arts match the expectations promised by its title? MúzeumCafé 33. – Ernő Marosi, art historian, full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences – The title of the exhibition, Cézanne and the Past, does not help much. Cézanne is understandable, but it matters whether you should think of the art of the past or the past of the art. The public can first of all […]
From the town of art collections to the Great Exhibition Hall flop The emergence of the museum network and its present position in Pécs MúzeumCafé 33. author: Emőke Gréczi The April-May 2011 issue of MúzeumCafé reviewed the process of how small museums in Szent-endre were established. Here we examine the history and present circumstances of the museum network in another town, Pécs, which considering its condition is better off than Szent-endre, though its divided network established with local ambition, political influence and great impetus […]
It is impossible that any of the museums would be closed Talking about museums with the Minister of State for Culture, László L. Simon MúzeumCafé 32. author: Marianna Berényi Recent developments will dominate discourse about Hungary’s museums for a long time. After the dismissals of a year ago, Parliament adopted a modification of the Law on Museums. The county museum system has ceased and the transfer of provincial museums to local authority maintenance is underway, not to mention the institutional changes in archaeology. Museums […]
“We must find our own way in consideration of our situation” Enikő Róka, art historian Director of Research, Hungarian National Gallery MúzeumCafé 32. author: Judit Jankó Her first significant, independent work as a curator was A Collector and his Collection in 2002 about Lajos Ernst’s life and activity marking the 90th anniversary of the Ernst Museum. Enikő Róka by then had already worked in the National Gallery’s Collection of Graphic Art for six years and the exhibition was a ‘side product’ […]
Dialogue of different identities in the common past Taja Vovk van Gaal on the house of european history MúzeumCafé 32. author: Anna Huth For the first time a permanent exhibition is going to be developed covering the history of Europe. The hosting institution, the House of European History (HEH), is coming into existence following an initiative of the European Parliament. A project team started to develop the permanent exhibition and the museum structure at beginning of 2011 in […]
Only a fool applies at the age of seventy Loránd Bereczky, retired director of the Hungarian National Gallery MúzeumCafé 32. author: Emőke Gréczi MúzeumCafé has talked to someone whose career leading to directing one of Hungary’s most important public collections cannot be regarded as usual. Although he graduated as an art historian, he did not pass through the ranks of promotion. Loránd Bereczky was appointed director of the Hungarian National Gallery directly from the Party centre. During his […]
From the ‘fiery bride’ to the motor block, from the bell to the smoothing-iron Budapest’s Foundry Museum MúzeumCafé 32. author: Katalin Lengyelné Kiss, metallurgical engineer, retired museum director The Foundry Museum is the pride of the casting, metallurgy and machine engineering profession, the cradle of Hungarian manufacturing industry and a unique attraction. The museum’s building is 150 years old and used to be part of the Ganz works, which closed in 1964. It preserves the iron foundry equipment of the Swiss-born master Ábrahám […]
Modern Hungarian Quality The new permanent exhibition of the Modern Hungarian Gallery, Pécs MúzeumCafé 32. author: Julianna P. Szűcs I begin with a tactless list of names. The following artists are absent from the permanent exhibition of the Modern Hungarian Gallery in Pécs, Hungary’s second most important public collection of 20th-century art. They are all prominent Hungarian masters, some are really outstanding, important and exciting, and nearly all pursued their profession, or still do, […]