18

22 MARCH 28 MARCH 2013

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

GALLERIES

MUSEUMS

DEK ERIKA GALRIA The exhibition

AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM: Covering life in a

Strangers in the Shooting Gallery by Gbor

Pintr and Gerg Kovch runs until 23
March. Open Wed.-Fri. 12noon-6pm and Sat.
11am-4pm. District VI, Mozsr u. 1. Tel. (+361) 201-3740. www.deakgaleria.hu

medieval village, viticulture, plants and

more with a temporary exhibition on turn-ofthe-century Agriculture Minister Ignc
Darnyi. The interactive exhibition on
Senses runs until 21 April. Open Tues.Sun., 10am-5pm. Tel. (+36-1) 363-1117.
District XIV, Vajdahunyad Castle in City
Park. www.mezogazdasagimuzeum.hu

GALLERY The exhibition The

Aesthetics of Faithfulness by Patrick
Baumller and Karolina Nagy runs until 20
April. Open Tues.-Fri. 12noon-6pm and Sat.
11am-3pm. District V, Galamb u. 6. Tel. (+361) 318-3659. www.dovin.hu

DOVIN

AQUINCUM MUSEUM: Archaeological find-

ings from the remains of the Roman military

garrison and trading settlement Aquincum.
The exhibition New Finds from Roman-Era
Budapest - Archaeological Excavations
between 2007 and 2011 is open until 7
April. The exhibition Tales of Finds.
Archaeological Finds from a Different
Perspective is open until 29 September.
Open daily 10am-6pm except Mon. The
outdoor ruins are open from 9am. District
III, Szentendrei t 135. Tel. (+36-1) 2501650. www.aquincum.hu

HUNGARIAN NATIONAL GALLERY World

Models - Studio Experiments and Documents
from Kondor to the Present Day runs until 28
April. The exhibition Jnos Thorma, the
painter of the Hungarian Barbizon runs until
12 May. The way we are, Cartoons and
Prints by Jzsef Farag runs until 2 June.
Open daily 10am-6pm except Mon. Wings B,
C and D of the Royal Palace. District I, Szent
Gyrgy tr 2. Tel. (+36) 20 439-7325 or (+36)
20 439-7331. www.mng.hu
KASSK

B LA

Literature Museum). Mainly works of Lajos

Kassk (1887-1967), leading figure of the
Hungarian avant-garde. District III, F tr 1
(Zichy House). Open Wed.-Sun. 10am-5pm.
Tel. (+36-1) 368-7021. www.kassakmuzeum.hu

KOGART The exhibition Romanticism Graphic genres and their shared frontiers in
the Kogart collection runs until 30 April.
Open daily 10am-6pm. District VI, Andrssy
t 112. Telephone (+36-1) 354-3820.
www.kogart.hu
LUDWIG CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM
(PALACE OF ARTS) The exhibition IPUT:

Subsist,Ence Level St.Andard Project 1984W

runs until 28 April. The exhibition The Naked
Man on the male nude in art from 1900 to the
present runs until 30 June. The Other Half of
the Sky. Selection from the Ludwig Museums
Collection is open until 1 January 2014. Open
Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. On the last Sunday
each month entrance is free for visitors under
26, and up to two adult relatives accompanying a child under 18. District XI, Komor
Marcell u 1. Telephone (+36-1) 555-3444
www.lumu.hu

MAI MAN (Hungarian House of

Photography). Shows works by Hungarian
and foreign photographers. Open weekdays
2-7pm, weekends 11am-7pm. District VI,
Nagymez u. 20. Tel. (+36.1) 473-2666.
www.maimano.hu
MAMU GALLERY The collective exhibition

Inter Arbores runs until 5 April. Open Wed.

and Fri. 2pm-6pm or by appointment. District
VII, Damjanich u. 39 (entrance from Murnyi
u.). Tel. (+36) 30 308-9549. www.mamu.hu

MISSIONART GALLERY The exhibition

Sculptures and Drawings (1964-1987) by

Tibor Csiky runs until 29 March. Open Mon.Fri 10am-6pm, Sat. 10am-3pm. District V,
Falk Miksa u. 30. Tel. (+36-1) 302-8587.
www.missionart.hu

MOLNR ANI GALLERY The exhibition Ex

Nihilo by Ott Vincze is open until 29 March.
Open Tues.-Fri. 12noon-6pm. District VIII,
Brdy Sndor u. 22. Tel. (+36-1) 327-0095.

MUCIUS GALLERY The exhibition of drawings

by Lszl Rajk runs until 31 March. District
VI, Kirly u. 13, Gozsdu Court D. Open Mon.Fri. 2pm-6pm.
MCSARNOK/KUNSTHALLE Through a Glass

Darkly - Faces Past and Present by Gbor

Gulys is open until 7 April. The exhibition
Margin by visual artist Sigalit Landau is open
until 2 June. District XIV, Dzsa Gyrgy t 37.
Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm except
Thurs.12pm-8pm. Tel. (+36-1) 460-7000.
www.mucsarnok.hu

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS Huge collection of

Hungarian and international paintings. The
Way We Are - Honor Daumier (1808-1879)
The Master of French caricature is open until
17 April. Open daily 10am-6pm except Mon.
(ticket office closes at 4.30pm). Ticket desk
open Tues.-Sun. 10am-5pm, and on second
Thursdays until 9pm with a Museum + events
ticket. District XIV, Hsk tere. Tel. (+36-1)
469-7100. www.szepmuveszeti.hu
PARK GALLERY The exhibition Kiosk (Buda)

by Andreas Fogarasi is open until 16 June.

Open daily 7am-12pm. MOM Park, first floor,
District XII, Alkots u. 53. Tel. (+36-1) 4875500. www.mompark.hu

TRAF GALLERY The exhibition Desire Path

by Beatrix Szrnyi and Zsolt Tibor runs until
27 March. Open Tues.-Sun 4pm-7pm or until
10pm on performance days. District IX, Liliom
u. 41. Tel. (+36-1) 456-2040. www.trafo.hu
VASARELY MUSEUM Large permanent collection of works by Hungarian-French artist
Victor Vasarely, the founder of op art. The
collective exhibition Geo-Neo-Post runs until
28 April. Open daily 10am-5.30pm except
Mon. District III, Szentllek tr 6. Tel. (+36-1)
388-7551. www.vasarely.hu

BARTK

M EMORIAL

H OUSE :

Concerts in one hall and a memorial room

with original furniture and Bartks folk art
collection, photos, letters and notes on his
life. Open Tues.-Sat. 10am-5pm. District II,
Csaln t 29. Tel. (+36-1) 394-2100.
www.bartokmuseum.hu

MUSEUM (Branch of Petfi

Thoughts in
canvas and lace
Interview with Sam Havadtoy

he 2013 exhibition of international

artist Sam Havadtoy opened last
weekend in Eger. The Budapest
Times caught up with him in his
modern but inviting and light-flooded flat in
Budapest, where he gave us an interesting
half-hour of his valuable time. The artist opens
the door in a calm and friendly manner.
Following an urgent telephone call, Havadtoy
silences his mobile phone. Always being available is a bad habit, he says.
His works combine experiences, brainwaves and knowledge acquired over the years,
which he first writes down and then, similarly to
Hungarian author and playwright Istvn
rkny (1912-1979), reduces to its essence.
He writes these condensed thoughts onto
canvas, in different lettering on top of one
another if the space is not sufficient. He then
covers these with lace, which is then painted.
The text is either fully or partly concealed as a
result. His stories remain invisible but are
nevertheless told.
I sleep little, which is probably because of
age, and work a lot, almost every night, says
the artist. The stories are created in his flat and
written onto canvas there, while the other steps
take place in his workshop in Szentendre or
Italy. He remarks calmly that he just has a life
but no private life any more. After the exhibition he will take a two-week holiday for the first
time in six years. However, he does not find this
a source of regret: Im pleased to have work
and am often surprised that others are looking
forward impatiently to reaching retirement.
After a pause for thought Havadtoy
describes his unique style with the words of an
art critic: minimalist baroque. This is very
contradictory but he cannot think of any better
way to put it himself, he says. In his works paintings, prints and sculptures - there is one
recurrent element: lace. His passion for it dates
back to his time as an interior architect. As a
child you look scornfully at the doilies of your
grandmother and mother on top of the TV and
dismiss it as kitsch, but when you are older you
realise that it is precisely such kitsch that
makes a home, he says.
Lace first found its way into his work during
his time as an interior architect in the form of
cushion covers, and later became part of his
paintings and sculptures. Havadtoy has been
collecting old lace for years and remains fascinated by the thought of who may have been
the creator of the individual pieces. He sees
them not only as an expression of feminine
creativity but also of the personality of the
person who created them.
Unlike other artworks lace is not given the
name of the person who created it, and it is
often simply discarded if it is dirty or damaged,
he says. Many visitors to my exhibitions say
that the pictures strike them as familiar. I think
thats because of the lace, since almost
everyone has already seen the patterns. In
their own home.
Havadtoy became an artist via interior architecture. The approach of an interior architect
also characterises his art: Painting is for me
like decorating a room. Every aspect needs to
be considered. The colours used and how they
relate to one another are important, he says.
He completes his works in his head. His hands
are just the tool to make his thoughts visible, he
explains.
In his eyes art is an international language
that is either understood or not. Nationalities do
not have a great influence on it.They disappear

Sam Havadtoy was born Smuel

Havadti in 1952. He emigrated to
London in 1971 and subsequently New
York, where he worked successfully as
an interior architect. In the 1980s he
became an important figure on the New
York art scene and became friends with
many well-known artists, such as Keith
Haring, Andy Warhol and Yoko Ono. He
was in a 20-year relationship with Ono,
which ended in 2000. In 1992 he established Gallery 56 in Budapest, where
the works of international contemporary
artists are regularly exhibited.
behind the works and are essentially irrelevant,
he says. Living from art is never easy; it
demands persistence hard work and the right
attitude, he notes.
Havadtoy is particularly delighted with the
exhibition 2013 in the Kpes Institute in Eger
for two reasons. First, he regards Gyrgy
Kpes, after whom the institute is named, as
an important and great Hungarian artist, so it is
an honour for him to have his works exhibited
there. Second, the renovated building has its
own charm; the old city mansion has been
refurbished and equipped with state-of-the-art
technology. The lighting is also brilliant, he
says.
Havadtoy remarks on the contrast to the
National Gallery in Kolozsvr, where he had a
show before that. There the walls were so
thickly covered with chalk dust that you could
paint in it, he says. His artworks had a different
impact in the two locations, he says. Its as
though the pictures have travelled from
Eastern to Western Europe. The contrast is
wonderful, he says.
The exhibited works were selected by
curator Arturo Schwarz. Havadtoy says he
does not interfere in this. However, he determined the arrangement of the pictures in
advance with the help of an architect using a
3D model and sent it to Eger.The interior architect in him always comes to the fore in such
cases, because the arrangement and the
impact of the pictures on the public are very
important to him.
If my buyers allow it, I accompany my
artworks right to their home and help to find the
optimal spot to place them.
Havadtoy is relaxed about the future. Im
sure there are plenty of good things in store for
me, he says, smiling. He is just at the beginning and there is still so much to learn and
experiment with, he believes. He now also
plans to change his location in Italy, where he
spent five years working. In the summer he
wants to explore new horizons: Im a
wanderer. I always want to see something new,
remain open and make the most of situations.
- Ines Gruber

2013
To 10 June
Open: Tues. to Sat. 10am to 6pm, and Sun.
10am to 4pm
Ticket prices: Children HUF 300. Adult (full
price) HUF 1,200. Students and pensioners
HUF 600
3300
Eger,
Szchenyi
utca
16,
www.kepeskozpont.hu

BUDAPEST HISTORY MUSEUM: Covering

the history of the capital. The exhibition The

Capitals Treasury - 125 years of the
Budapest History Museum is open until 31
March. The exhibition on the centenary of
the Salesian order in Hungary runs until 31
March. The exhibition Votive Rituals,
Ancient Feasts is open until 8 September.
Open daily 10am-6pm except Mon. Buda
Castle building E, District I, Szent Gyrgy
tr 2. Tel. (+36-1) 487-8800. www.btm.hu/

E VANGELICAL

N ATIONAL

M USEUM :

Covering the Protestant faith in Hungary.

The exhibition of watercolours by Jnos
Szentgothai is open until 31 March. Open
Tues.-Sun., 10am-5pm. District V, Dek
Ferenc tr 4. Tel. (+36-1) 317-4173.
www.evangelikusmuzeum.hu

FERENC HOPP MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN

ARTS: Works collected by the traveller Ferenc
Hopp with an exhibition on Land of the Morning
Calm, Korean Art in the 18th-19th Centuries.
Open Fri.-Sun. 2pm-6pm. District VI, Andrssy
t 103. Tel. (+36-1) 322-8476. www.imm.hu
(Museum of Applied Arts website)

FERENC LISZT MEMORIAL MUSEUM: A

reconstruction of Liszts last Budapest flat

containing his original instruments, furniture, books, scores, personal objects and
memorabilia. The exhibition Liszt and the
French Musicians of his Time is running
until 19 October. In the Old Music Academy,
District VI, Vrsmarty u. 35. Open Mon.Fri. 10am-6pm, Sat. 9am-5pm. Tel. (+36-1)
322-9804. www.lisztmuseum.hu

GEOLOGICAL I NSTITUTE

OF

H UNGARY:

Collection of rocks and fossils in a building

by architect dn Lechner. Open Thurs.,
Sat., Sun. 10am-4pm. District XIV, Stefnia
t. 14. Tel. (+36-1) 251-0999. www.mafi.hu

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTRE: Open

Tues.-Sun.10am-6pm. District IX, Pva u.

39. Tel. (+36-1) 455-3333. www.hdke.hu

HOSPITAL IN THE ROCK: Formerly secret

underground air-raid hospital and nuclear
bunker, with an exhibition about Friedrich
Born, Swiss delegate of the Red Cross in
Budapest from 1944-1945, who saved up to
15,000 Jews by handing out protection
documents. Flashlight tour daily at 7pm in
quest of lost treasures of Count Gorgey.
Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-8pm. District I,
Lovas t 4/C. Tel. (+36) 70 701-0101.
www.sziklakorhaz.hu
HOUSE OF TERROR MUSEUM: Secret police
headquarters during both the fascist and
socialist periods, with a temporary exhibition on Cardinal Mindszenty. Open Tues.Sun. 10am-6pm. District VI, Andrssy t 60.
Tel. (+36-1) 374-2600. www.terrorhaza.hu

H UNGARIAN J EWISH M USEUM AND

ARCHIVES: Religious and historical collec-

tion at the Great Synagogue in District VII,

Dohny u. 2. Tel. (+36-1) 317-1377.
www.dohany-zsinagoga.hu

H UNGARIAN M USEUM OF T RADE AND

TOURISM: Catering industry relics based on
the private collection of Frigyes Glck and
extended to include posters, scales, furniture and a numismatic collection. The exhibition Can I sprinkle you with water? on
Easter customs runs until 7 April. Realised
and Unrealised dreams runs until 5 May.
The exhibition I have never had a home...
- Scenes from Gyula Krdys Budapest Life
runs until 31 December. Open Tues.-Sun.
10am-6pm. District III, Korona tr 1. Tel.
(+36-1) 212-1245. www.mkvm.hu

HUNGARIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM: Train buffs

paradise with many steam engines and

carriages, operational turntables, the largest
roundhouse in Central Europe with interactive programmes such as a self-powered rail

car and engine driving. Childrens miniature

rail line. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District
XIV, Tatai t 95. Tel. (+36-1) 238-0558.
www.vasuttortenetipark.hu

KODLY MEMORIAL MUSEUM: Instruments,

documents and original furnishings on
display in Kodlys former flat. Open Wed.Fri. 10am-12pm and 2pm-4.30pm by
appointment. District VI, Andrssy t 89.
(+36-1) 352-7106. www.kodaly-inst.hu

MEDIEVAL JEWISH HOUSE

OF

PRAYER:

Collection shedding light on the life of Jews

during the Middle Ages. Open Tues.-Sun.
10am-6pm. District I, Tncsics Mihly u. 26.
Tel. (+36-1) 225-7816. www.museum.hu

M EMENTO PARK : Communist statuary

shunted out of the streets and into a field on
the edge of town. Direct buses leave from
Dek tr at 11am daily. Open from 10amdusk. District XXII, corner of Balatoni t and
Szabadkai t. Tel. (+36-1) 424-7500.
www.mementopark.hu
MILITARY HISTORY MUSEUM: Permanent
exhibitions on the Hungarian military from
1815 through the world wars and the fall of
the Iron Curtain. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am4pm. District I, Kapisztrn tr 2-4. Tel. (+361) 325-1600. www.militaria.hu
MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS: Permanent
collection of works of applied art in an Art
Nouveau landmark. The exhibition on the
110th anniversary of the Halasi Csipke lace
technique runs until 24 March. Open Tues.Sun. 10am-6pm. District IX, lli t 33-37.
Tel. (+36-1) 456-5107. www.imm.hu
M USEUM OF E THNOGRAPHY: Covering
traditional customs and clothing. The exhibition The Waterfowl People - Lennart Meris
film expeditions 1969-1988 runs until 31
March. The exhibition Saaremaa, Muhumaa
and Hiiumaa. The Ethnographic images of
the Estonian islands 100 years ago - the
Aladr Bn collection runs until 5 May. The
exhibition Objective Case - Subjective
Ethnography is open until 16 June. Open
Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District V, Kossuth
Lajos tr 12. Tel. (+36-1) 473-2400.
www.neprajz.hu
MUSEUM

OF BUDA: Permanent exhibition

on buda - Three faces of a town. District
III, F tr 1. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am6pm. Telephone (+36-1) 250-1020.
www.obudaimuzeum.hu

OF TRANSPORT: Covering the

history of road and rail transport in
Hungary. The aerospace collection is in the
nearby Petfi Csarnok (Zichy Mihly u. 3).
Open Tues.-Fri. 10am-4pm, and Sat.-Sun.
10am-5pm. District XIV, Vrosligeti krt
11. Tel. (+36-1) 273-3840. www.mmkm.hu

MUSEUM

N AGYTTNYI

C ASTLE

M USEUM :

Eighteenth-century castle restored to

former splendour featuring a permanent
exhibition on the art of furniture making
from the Gothic to the Biedermeier. Open
Tues.-Fri. 10am-6pm. District XXII,
Kastlypark u. 9-11. Tel. (+36-1) 207-0005.
www.nagytetenyi.hu

NATIONAL MUSEUM: Covering the whole of

Hungarian history, from the ancient origins
of the Hungarians, their journey to the
Carpathian Basin and events until 1990.
Open Tues.-Fri. 10am-6pm. District VIII,
Mzeum krt 14-16. Tel. (+36-1) 3382122/327-7749. www.hnm.hu
N ATURAL H ISTORY M USEUM : Covering
botany and zoology. The exhibition Wildlife
Photographer of the Year runs until 11 May.
Open daily 10am-5pm except Tues. District
VIII, Ludovika tr 2-6. Tel. (+36-1) 2101085. www.nhmus.hu
P ETFI L ITERATURE M USEUM : Named

after the poet Sndor Petfi (1823-1849).

The exhibition on the 100th anniversary of
the birth of Istvn rkny runs until 31
March. The exhibition Rubiks Cube of
Letters - Fifty years of the Parisian Magyar
Mhely (Hungarian Workshop) runs until 5
April. The exhibition on drawings and paintings of Bla Tettamanti is open until 26 May.
District V, Krolyi Mihly u. 16. Open Tues.Sun. 10am-6pm. Tel. (+36-1) 317-3611.
www.pim.hu

STAMP MUSEUM: Items from around the

world. Open Tues.-Sun. 10am-6pm. District
VII, Hrsfa u. 47. Tel. (+36-1) 341-5526.
www.belyegmuzeum.hu
U NDERGROUND

R AILWAY

M USEUM :

Commemorates the continents first underground train line, the Fldalatti, which
opened in 1896 (now Metro 1, the yellow
line). In an original stretch of the tunnel at
Dek tr metro station in District V. Open
Tues.-Sun. 10am-5pm. Tel. (+36-1) 4616500. www.bkv.hu

ZELNIK ISTVN SOUTHEAST ASIAN GOLD

MUSEUM: Collected by a diplomat/businessman over 45 years. Open Mon. 9am6pm, Tues.-Sun. 9am-7pm (Fri. and Sat. till
9pm). District VI, Andrssy t. 110. Tel.
(+36)
30
250-7210.
www.zelnikcollection.com