This new, colourful spot along Kossuth Lajos Street has virtually been operating since Design Week in October, but it only officially opened on November 27. Mono Art & Design is a gallery, design shop, downtown concept store and exhibition space all at once. Simultaneously, the large retail space reflects contemporary design and fine arts. The shop welcomes design-lovers and anyone who is interested in the local creative scene.
Mono has been present in the heart of the city for years now: the initial store between Astoria and Puskin Cinema mainly centres on fashion, while their new space at 12 Kossuth Lajos Street focuses on contemporary design and fine arts.
As we step into the store, we can immediately see numerous pictures, sculptures, furniture and decor, clothes, books and notebooks. The placement of these objects seems random at first glance, but the long space is well organised. The place also hosts exhibitions, and the list of exhibitors is already rather long – and gradually growing too. The exhibition offers a spot for both successful and relatively unknown artists. We Love Budapest's own Little Hungaropedia booklet series is also available here.
The main objective of owners Judit Garam and Ákos Peleskey is to provide an opportunity for freshly graduated artists to introduce themselves. Naturally, they organise solo and group exhibitions, too.
In addition, they would like to provide a meeting point for artists and a design-loving audience, so they plan several workshops, theatrical performances and film screenings. The latter seem like a great idea, because the products of Bizsók Hangsugárzó Manufaktúra are responsible for the perfect audio experience in store.A designer precinct is not really what first comes to mind when we think of Kossuth Lajos Street, but with Mono’s two stores there could be a positive change and this neighbourhood might evolve to become an urban oasis, with plenty of cafés and galleries. Naturally, this still seems far in the future, but the local government seems to be embracing the idea as well, and recent plans (in Hungarian) regarding Kossuth Lajos Street offer a promising future.
