Held amid central Buda’s gigantic Millenáris Cultural Center, the eagerly anticipated Art Market Budapest extravaganza welcomes professional culture aficionados and casual curiosity seekers alike for four days of refined fascination, presenting pieces by world-renowned geniuses mounted side by side with artworks of fledgling visionaries. Established in 2011, this annual expo is now regarded as an important meeting point for artists, gallery owners, and collectors from around the region and the planet, and is quickly gaining esteem as one of Europe’s premier art fairs, featuring numerous programs ranging from English-language guided tours to interactive games to children’s activities.
Along with dozens of displays decorated by leading galleries from Hungary and many other nations (including Italy, Ireland, Turkey, Poland, Luxembourg, and points far beyond), a diverse selection of creative draws enhances the artistic atmosphere. This year, special highlights include the new Art Photo Budapest section of the fair created to promote Eastern and Central European art photography, while roundtable discussions tackle such topics as the role of money in the modern art world and the impact of social changes on regional artistry during the quarter century since the Soviet era came to an end.
On that note, in commemoration of the Berlin Wall’s fall 25 years ago, the Art Market Budapest organizers shine the spotlight on artists and galleries from Germany’s capital and its thriving creative scene. Along with another roundtable discussion comparing the flourishing aesthetic scenes of Berlin and Budapest, the Hungarian-born and Berlin-based street artist Vidam (whose recently opened Budapest exhibit was covered in this article) will create a new “Berlin Wall” live before the eyes of visitors and then inaugurate it with an outdoor DJ set at 9pm on Friday, October 10.
However, no matter when guests are present at Art Market Budapest, there are always plenty of enthralling happenings to enliven the scene, along with an ever-present plethora of variegated works to provide a feast for the eyes. Significant Budapest-based galleries that are participating this year include acb, Deák Erika, Godot, Mai Manó House, the Ludwig Museum, Nessim, the Robert Capa Center, and Trapéz, just to name a few. Additionally, an outdoor sculpture garden on the surrounding grounds of Millenáris Park provides visual stimulation for the public.
For complete details about Art Market Budapest 2014, log onto www.artmarketbudapest.hu, or check out the fair’s Facebook page.
