Mihály Munkácsy was an internationally renowned figure of 19th century Hungarian painting.Continue reading
The Budapest Contemporary Art Fair (BCT) opened its doors on Thursday, with 29 domestic and 12 international galleries welcoming visitors over four days at the Bálna events center in Budapest.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the event’s main organizer, Ádám Tausz, said that the Budapest Contemporary Art Fair has reached a new level, as this year’s event will be even more complex than last year’s, offering an even more comprehensive view of contemporary European art.
In addition to the best Hungarian galleries, 12 galleries from 6 countries will participate with 42 works. “These galleries represent a very important part of the contemporary art scene in Western Europe and showcase the best of their artists,” noted Ádám Tausz.
As part of the art fair, a two-day conference will be organized on the link between art and business.
In addition, special guided tours and educational programs will be held 2-3 times a day at the fair,
the organizer highlighted, adding that there are almost a thousand works of art at this year’s event.
“An art fair always has an important role to play in the contemporary art scene, as it provides an opportunity for collectors and the general public to get a complete picture of Hungarian contemporary art and its most important trends,” explained Katalin Spengler, art collector and patron of the event. “The interest in Hungarian contemporary art is growing in Hungary, the art market is expanding, the number of buyers is also increasing, and this justifies the international opening,” she added.
Speaking from the international point of view, she noted that
the idea was not to invite galleries to the fair, but to create a curated exhibition, including a selection of artists who are seen as important on the European art scene and whose museum presence and professional weight is growing.
The curatorial selection includes such renowned foreign artists as Amélie Bertrand, Jonny Niesche and Gerold Miller, said Katalin Spengler, listing the exhibiting artists.
Márton Nemes, exhibiting artist at the Hungarian Pavilion of the 60th Venice Biennale and curator of the international stand, emphasized that the Budapest Contemporary Art Fair will showcase progressive material of international quality. A number of valuable museum pieces will be on display, he added.
The aim of the art fair is to provide a platform for highly acclaimed contemporary galleries and artists and to promote the best of domestic art at home and abroad,
reads a press release from the organizers.
The total value of the works on display is several million euros, but visitors can find high quality works for a few tens of thousands of forints. The most valuable contemporary works are worth between HUF 50 and 100 million (EUR 125,000-250,000). The art fair will also include a charity online auction, with all proceeds going to the Autistic Art Foundation.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/ Budapest Contemporary