Day of Hungarian Painting Offers over 150 Contemporary Exhibitions

Contemporary painting (Egyszer visszatérő) by György Verebes, Munkácsy Prize-winning painter.

Over 150 exhibitions and related programs await visitors from all over the country and beyond the borders of Hungary in the 22nd edition of the Day of Hungarian Painting until mid-November. This year’s central exhibition will be the “Live Hungarian Painting” exhibition in the Vigadó of Pest (Pesti Vigadó).

Vigadó of Pest. Photo: Wikipedia

“Honoring tradition is an integral part of the basic idea behind the Day of Hungarian Painting,” said György Verebes, Munkácsy Prize-winning painter and president of the Day of Hungarian Painting Foundation, at a press conference on Thursday in Budapest. He added:

The aim of the event series, which will last for almost one and a half months, is to promote Hungarian painting throughout the country and beyond its borders, and to draw attention to the values of contemporary Hungarian painting.

The annual event is organized around the feast of St. Luke (October 18), the patron saint of painters.

Fact

Saint Luke is the patron saint of artists, as well as of doctors and surgeons. Although he is often shown painting the Virgin Mary, it is more likely that Luke was a doctor rather than an artist. Saint Luke is associated with Mary because it is only in his gospel that important events in her life, such as the Annunciation (Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus), are described.

St. Luke painting the Virgin, by Maarten van Heemskerck, 1532. Photo: Wikipedia

Verebes noted that the series of events is constantly expanding, and institutions and galleries will be able to join in throughout October. He stressed that the events can be divided into two major units: the events organized by the Foundation from its own resources, including the “Live Hungarian Painting” exhibition of national importance, and the accompanying exhibitions, which,

in addition to the domestic exhibitions, also cover the artistic events of the Hungarian population of the Carpathian Basin.

Verebes added that the main exhibition of the series, the “Live Hungarian Painting,” has for many years been presenting works by three generations of Hungarian painters. The young generation is represented by those under 40, the middle generation by those between 40 and 70, and the old generation by those over 70. The central exhibition is hosted in a different venue each year, he underlined.

Verebes also drew attention to the Festival of Fine Arts in Szolnok (central Hungary), which will start on October 19 and has been an integral part of the Day of Hungarian Painting series of events for almost 15 years.

The goal of the Day of Hungarian Painting event series is to strengthen the public awareness of the importance of contemporary painting and emphasize its role in the cultural life of Hungary, while bringing together the representatives of the profession and strengthening the artistic community.

Throughout October, institutions and galleries across the country and beyond can join the month-long series of events, with exhibitions, guided tours, publication launches, symposia, round tables and co-arts events.

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Via MTI; Featured image via Wikipedia