We know Imagine Budapest as an organizer of thematic sightseeing walks, but they recently launched a new project called "Mentés Másként" (meaning “Save As”).
The original idea was to create an exhibition about the history of the city with the help of objects from the past, but the plan changed over time. To be honest, we usually don't know what to do when we find something that is not ours, left in a public place. Our first idea is to turn over these items to the police, but then what happens to them? Thanks to "Mentés Másként", we learned the fate of Budapest's forgotten stuff.
The city's district councils deal with objects that are found in public places, so if you find a laptop that was left on a random park bench (and you want to keep your conscience clean), you can take it to the closest council office and hand it over to them, and maybe the rightful owner will go there to look for it. The council office records the lost item, then waits for the owner to retrieve it within three months. If nobody comes for it, the finder can claim it at that point, but officially, the lost item only becomes their property after one year. Otherwise, the council office is left to store the unwanted things, until now.
The council of Pest's District V offered a lot of assistance to Imagine Budapest in the creation of this exciting exhibition, which can be found in the basement under their office. The unclaimed articles are mounted in dioramas of their “natural habitat”, with each item placed in an installation showing the area of downtown where they were found. This is why the padlocks from Erzsébet Square are placed in a showcase with a picture of the Sziget Eye for a backdrop, and some sports equipment is mounted in the case that displays Olimpia Park.
We don't want to spoil the experience and reveal every detail, but while there are amusing stories behind some of the objets trouvés, there are also some really uncanny and mysterious circumstances presented. Visitors can also examine a table full of personal objects that were left in hostels around District V. This collection changes regularly, since the youth hostels of the area are usually happy to pass on the worthless but funny things that were left behind.
What really impressed us about this exhibit is not just the feeling of being in a "NCIS" episode while examining these items, but also that the installations share a lot of information. Every display bears some memorable stories or interesting facts in connection with the locations, making the exhibit something like a miniature tour of District V – but instead of listening to the guide, we can read the curious stories. Of course, Imagine Budapest also offers tours of "Mentés Másként" if demand warrants it, even for groups. Admission is free for viewing the exhibit, and visitors can also ask questions of the Imagine Budapest staff. This is how we learned that Károly, the rabbit living in a corner of Károly Garden, also visited the opening of the exhibition, although it was a difficult procedure to get the “busy animal” to agree to this appearance. (When the exhibit organizers received the good news that Károly could attend the opening, the announcement arrived in a formal letter that also assured the curators that the rabbit will arrive to the event “well-groomed”.)
The "Mentés Másként" exhibition can be interesting for all ages, because youths can finally learn about the history of the city in an exciting way, and adults can let their imaginations roam when pondering the unknowable past of every item on view. As a bonus, while visiting the exhibition guests can take a look at a remnant of Pest's medieval-era city wall (also cared for by Imagine Budapest). Just make sure that you don't leave anything there… but if you do, at least you now know what will happen to it.
Imagine Budapest (Budapest Pont)
Address:
1053 Budapest, Királyi Pál utca 18.
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