Virtual exhibition: http://elonepmuveszet.hagyomanyokhaza.hu/2021/
Opening on 22 April at 18:00, this exhibition that occupies almost the entirety of the Hungarian Heritage House focuses on the diversity of our live folk art and folk crafts; viewers may enjoy a total of 1.533 objects or compositions, with a grand total of 2.192 pieces. Speakers at the online conference opening ceremony include: Bertalan Andrásfalvy, etnographer; László Kelemen, Executive Director of the Hungarian Heritage House; Bence Rétvári, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources; and Zsolt V. Németh, Ministerial Commissioner for Outstanding National Values. Apart from opening the exhibition, guests may also enjoy a performance of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble!
Guests may view the virtual exhibition halls through a dedicated website using special effects, activated at the opening; browse through award-winning pieces using a highly advanced search engine; engage with curators; surf through 32 themes and regions by watching their respective short movies; and, of course, take a look at the construction works!
About the Exhibition
The creative force stemming from Hungarian folk art is demonstrated by the fact that exhibition halls of several hundred square meters are filled with newly manufactured, high-quality pieces every five years over the last half decade. This illustrates that creative desire and efforts across all fields of folk art is simply everlasting. Authors have a say in our modern world as well; their creations may be used across all fields of life in the 21st century. Nothing illustrates this better than the grandiose exhibition held at the Budapest Palace of Art (Műcsarnok) in 2018, titled Kéz-Mű-Remek (Amazing Handicraft), where viewers could enjoy 3500 pieces from almost 500 artists across 2500 square meters. Three years later, the 17th annual Live Folk Art Exhibition offers all the latest artwork, as pieces displayed three years ago were excluded from this event.
Artistic paths vary greatly; however, whatever road we take, we always must respect the essential trinity of tradition, talent and mastership. Contemporary folk art is still essentially based on historical tradition; irrespective of influences over the centuries, it always had to meet the aesthetical expectations of its audience. Folk art pieces of today must be aesthetically inclusive, sensitive to modern developments, and at the same time, always preserve the values rooting from traditional folk art.
The third principle of mastership refers to the design of artwork. Over the centuries, all fields have developed handicraft techniques that designate objects of folk art with unique features. Authors and critics shall continue to observe such features, which make the respective pieces valuable. (Katalin Beszprémy - Zoltán Szabó)
The Association of Hungarian Folk Artists is the co-organizer and the professional partner of this exhibition.