More and more galleries are reopening in Budapest, presenting subjects as diverse as Snow White and contemporary Hungary. Here we select the best to see this autumn, in painting, photographic and mural form, at venues as diverse as a gilded auction house and the Kincsem Palace.
1/5
Auction exhibition at the Virág Judit
The Virág Judit Gallery awaits visitors until Saturday with a particularly strong selection, displaying the works by the likes of Mihály Munkácsy, László Paál, Gyula Batthyány, Béla Kádár, Géza Faragó, József Egry and Pál Szinyei Merse, as well as contemporaries Imre Bak, Ilona Keserü, Tibor Csernus and Tihamér Gyarmathy. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Béla Kádár’s masterpiece created for the Sturm Gallery in Berlin, and there are high expectations from János Vaszary’s legendary park series as well. The gallery also has a reliable online service, for digital bids or by phone. Until 19 September
2/5
Finally We Can Learn Something
The Kisterem is a tiny gallery on downtown Képíró utca, but despite its small size, it’s of particular importance in terms of contemporary art. Usually they can’t display works by many artists at one time, but now they’re broadening their remit to host a large-scale contemporary art pop-up exhibition at the illustrious Kincsem Palace. The showcased works are a selection of pieces by young and mid-generation artists, which can only be seen at this exhibition. The palace was built in the 1870s by Ernő Blaskovich, the owner of the famous racehorse Kincsem. The once lavishly decorated spaces of the Neo-Renaissance building will open for this special occasion, allowing you to see remnants of the original silk tapestry, the decorated ceramic fireplace, the stained-glass windows and the carved wooden doorframes. But the spotlight, of course, is on the works of the 16 artists represented by the gallery, including paintings by Gergő Szinyova, installations by Ádám Kokesch, János Sugár and Júlia Vécsei, video pieces by Zoltán Szegedy-Maszák, items created with special techniques by Judit Fischer and location-specific creations by Tamás Kaszás. The venue's dimensions allow the display of a six-metre mural by Randomroutines, under the name Finally We Can Learn Something – the title of the exhibition. Until 30 September
3/5
In memoriam Judit Reigl
Judit Reigl, often referred to as the most lucrative contemporary Hungarian painter, passed away on 7 August in a nursing home near her Paris residence at the age of 97. Born in Kapuvár in 1923, the painter fled Communism for France in 1950. She renovated a barn as an art studio in Marcoussis outside Paris, where she was able to work in peace. Her paintings have consistently hit record prices at international auctions in the past few years. She became a prominent figure of abstract art after World War II, with some of the world’s most important galleries in American and European museums, such as the MoMa, the Metropolitan and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Pompidou and the Tate Modern featuring her work. Her first retrospective exhibition in Hungary was held in 2005 at the Kálmán Makláry Gallery, which is now hosting the memorial exhibition as well. Until 30 September
4/5
Once Upon a Time…
The children’s and youth gallery on downtown Fashion Street has reopened with a travelling exhibition created by 20 contemporary Estonian artists. Inspired by Grimms’ Fairy Tales, the 59 beautiful paintings depict stories such as Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White, originally dark medieval forest fables adapted for children. Each artist has painted the tales they most loved, so you may see that iconic red cloak a few times. Until 20 October
5/5
38th Hungarian Press Photo Exhibition
The winners of the 38th Hungarian Press Photo prizes were announced in January but the traditional annual unveiling and display of the best images had to be postponed until September. As in recent years, what is shown is a condensed version of Hungarian reality, about a period that defined society before the pandemic. As such, this year’s HPP is more poignant than ever. The MÚOSZ Grand Prix was awarded to András D Hajdú for his series The Wall that We Call a Fence, and the André Kertész Grand Prize went to Bea Kovács for her series Éber’s Coma. Until 15 November
