The bridges of Budapest, the surreal world of David Lynch and vintage puppetry are among the fascinating subjects featured at exhibitions created as virtual visits by various galleries, museums and cultural institutions around Budapest for you to enjoy at home.
In March 2019, filmmaker David Lynch was featured at the Budapest Photo Festival, his exhibition Small Stories making waves among his dedicated cult following. Lynch is known for such classics as Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, and his Small Stories series echoes the themes, worlds and colourscapes of his other works. Now available to view virtually, this exhibition takes visitors “on a psychedelic journey through the world of emotions, humour, playfulness and restlessness”.
View the exhibition here.
A world of puppets is available online in the exhibition Inside Out: Backstage Puppet Secrets. While the gallery text is in Hungarian, it can be put into Google Translate, and the pictures themselves are fascinating. Diagrams and cross-sections show the inner workings of hand puppets, marionettes and other stage props. There are even photos of old, 1920s puppets from the Hungarian Theatre Museum and Institute, and videos showing an adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days, featuring a lion, an antelope and a pug dog.
View the exhibition here.
In 2017, the Hungarian novelist Magda Szabó would have celebrated her 100th birthday. She was famous for her novels as well as collections of dramas, essays, studies, poetry and memoirs. Her works have been translated into over 30 languages and adapted for the cinema screen, such as The Door starring Helen Mirren in 2012. In honour of her centenary, the Petőfi Literary Museum has put together a collection featuring photographs from her life, drawings, toys and murals. The exhibition is in Hungarian, but the virtual walk-through is full of stunning visuals that can be appreciated in any language.
View the exhibition here.
Before the city shut down this March, the 2020 Budapest Photo Festival
opened its annual exhibitions, starting with the haunting opening show Paolo VENTURA: A Venetian Story – The Automaton. It’s a beautiful but heart-wrenching fairy-tale set in the Venice ghetto of 1943. The protagonist is a Jewish watchmaker trapped inside Nazi occupation. As he waits for the inevitable arrival of the authorities, the old man decides to build a little robot boy to keep him company. The exhibition is now available virtually.
View the exhibition here.
The Hungarian National Gallery opened its Visions of Realism exhibition in 2019, which can now be viewed as a part of the Digital Museum programme. Famed Hungarian Realist painter Mihály Munkácsy is displayed here, alongside the likes of László Mednyánszky, Adolf Fényes and József Koszta.
View the exhibition here.
To honour the opening of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Japan, established 150 years ago, the Museum of Fine Arts unveiled The Call of the East this February. The exhibition
showcases nearly 70 artworks, including Japanese woodcuts from the 18th and 19th centuries which served as inspiration for European artists. Now the museum has moved the exhibition online, where it can be enjoyed virtually.
View the exhibition here.
The history of Budapest is told through the story of its bridges, which all began with a 16th-century pontoon bridge, the first link between the towns of Buda and Pest. From there, we move forward to the construction of the illustrious Chain Bridge, and the historical events of the city which follow. The whole exhibition is in English, and features paintings, sketches, photographs and detailed maps.
View the exhibition here.
