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Between May 14th and 16th, the Night of Artefacts Festival will be held at 70 locations in the capital with more than 120 programs, without which Budapest’s spring cultural and artistic program offering would be unimaginable today.
The three-day Night of Artefacts Festival, organized by the leading Hungarian art trade information portal, műtárgy.com, has become an unmissable event for those interested in the world of art over the past decade. The program is extremely diverse, so those interested in the most diverse categories of art, fine and applied arts, and all areas of architecture can find events that can enrich them with new experiences and new knowledge. Among the events, we find exhibition visits and professional lectures as well as studio and workshop visits, thematic walks, workshops, discussions, and film screenings.
Some programs appeal more to those with knowledge of the world of art, while others offer ideal opportunities for “entry”, i.e. gaining information and experience in a previously less known area. A significant part of the programs is interactive, meaning that participants are not passive observers, but themselves shape the events. Another great attraction is that many programs are exclusive, meaning that they are only accessible within the framework of the festival. Many studios, restoration workshops, museum warehouses and other institutions are only open to visitors at this time, but a visit to a museum or gallery also provides a completely different experience if the artist himself presents his works or an expert supplements what you see with valuable information.
“I am very proud that paintings will no longer be the main role in this ten-year festival,” said Szilvia Kollmann, managing director of the organizer Műtárgy.com. “The program series includes postcards, stamps, porcelain, textiles, jewelry, screen prints and other special graphic techniques, kinetic works, and even light art objects. who have been with the event for years.”
The workshops can also be expected to be of great interest, where participants can test their knowledge and talent in a particular field of art – be it watercolors, screen prints, textile collages, making jewelry or even painting Herend porcelain.
The Healing Power of Art
The highlight of this year’s festival is the healing power of art. A prominent role is given to how the enjoyment of art supports personal recharge, emotional processing and creative thinking. Shared art experiences strengthen connection and are proven to be able to promote therapeutic and healing processes, thus leading to a more balanced quality of life.
The special evening art therapy workshop entitled Night Lights, Inner Worlds, for example, uses images, colors, and shapes to make the healing power of creative creation tangible. A roundtable discussion related to the topic invites you to think together and seeks an answer to the question of what happens when art is received and during the creative process. In the many workshops of the program series, participants can try out the therapeutic effects of creation.
Within the framework of the Night of Artefacts Festival (MÉF in short), you can view such significant exhibitions led by experts as the recently opened Dolce Vita exhibition of the Hungarian National Gallery, the latest Black Mirror exhibition of the Ludwig Museum, or the large-scale presentation of the Museum of Fine Arts celebrating the 120th anniversary of the birth of Victor Vasarely – in the latter, a mathematician university professor will guide the interested parties, who will show what mathematical and geometric regularities inspired the artist in certain periods of his creative work. Visitors to the István Szőnyi exhibition at the Pesti Vigadó can also admire the sunset from the building's roof terrace after the guided tour. Many may be interested in the latest exhibition at the Light Art Museum or the guided tours and art exhibitions at the Róth Miksa Memorial House and Collection and the Goldberger Textile Collection.
Visitors will also discover the secrets of buildings such as the Gül Baba Mausoleum, the oldest functioning synagogue in the capital, or the former royal palace that houses the Hungarian National Gallery, which frequent visitors probably think they already know every corner of.
Among the contemporary artists, this year the doors of the studios of István Nyári, Boglárka Nagy, artists working at HAB, Artus Studio and Budapest Art Factory will be opened, and we can also visit the studio of János Fajó, who passed away a few years ago. During the festival, the exhibiting artist will personally guide visitors through his exhibition in several contemporary galleries.
Photo: MTI / Lakatos Péter
Night of Artefacts Festival Awaits Everyone
Beginners and even more experienced art collectors can benefit from programs where experts estimate the value of the artworks presented to them, or where they can learn about the methods and tools for uncovering forgeries. Adventurous art lovers can investigate using postcards and participate in interactive treasure hunts.
This year, the program will also include programs that will be of interest to the whole family and younger generations. Children can see a puppet show related to Pál Szinyei-Merse, and they can conjure up color monsters and fantasy creatures with creative tools in workshops.
The festival programs can be visited with a day ticket or a season ticket, which can be purchased on the MÉF website, and their owners can visit the individual events after prior registration.
Source and photos: mutargy.com
