Every year, Budapest comes fully alive with art, dozens of museums, galleries and artist studios allowing you to get happily lost in as much as you can take in. Between 16-25 October, Budapest Art Week spreads over 74 participating locations, 100 exhibitions and 90-plus events, as well as guided tours, performances and workshops!
The event, which is usually held in the spring, is now a colourful antidote to cool, grey and rainy October. At a time when we may yearn for some extra culture in our lives, Budapest Art Week steps up to the plate.
For Budapest Art Week, the city’s many cultural destinations open their doors. This year’s features more than 30 contemporary galleries, 20 exhibition spaces, 12 museums and eight studios. And of course, you don’t want to miss out on the array of exciting events, where everyone can discover and learn a little more about the diversity of the art world.
One of the evergreen favourites is the Open Studios afternoons, which will be returning this year, and is expected to attract significant interest. Here, visitors are able to see the artist at work, and witness where their creations are birthed.
At the Ludwig Museum, the exhibition Barabásilab: Hidden patterns stands out. One of the scientific novelties of recent years is network research and visualisation, an effective tool for studying not only social phenomena, but also the cultural and art scenes. Here, the language of network-thinking is transformed into art, linking to the activities of Boston-based expert Albert-László Barabási. It is a fascinating look at the area where science, art and design merge.
In the halls of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Hungarian National Gallery, we can view everything from late-Gothic winged altars, to the mystical art of El Greco, to turn-of-the-century and modern Hungarian paintings. Defining figures in contemporary art are put on display alongside young creators for the exciting opportunity to show their work to the general public.
Another interesting exhibition this year is the work of László Mulasics, a decisive figure in the Hungarian art scene of the '80s and '90s. His exhibition is titled Kutyák, szarvasok és griffek (Dogs, Deer and Griffins), and can be found at the Várfok Gallery.
Organisers have also kept in mind families with young children, and this year there are baby-friendly exhibitions and activities, alongside educational sessions for school-age students. There are city walks, building tours and gallery explorations for those ready to put in some extra steps.
In this ten-day series of events, it feels like the amount of art available is unlimited, and the option to actively participate is fun and rewarding. All of this is available for a single ticket, although due to the coronavirus, it is important to register for specific events if you wish to attend. See details here.
In a final stroke of genius, masks with quotes and designs by graphic designer Anita Nemes will be available for purchase, for anyone interested in throwing away their old, drab ones and refreshing their stock with something vibrant and new!
We Love Budapest is the media sponsor and co-operating partner of Budapest Art Week.
