Antique & Contemporary Exhibition & Fair at the Art
Friday, 20 November 2009
Classic and contemporary masterpieces... Hungarian and international works of art... World-famous artists and young up-and-coming talents... Thought-inspiring, ironic and provocative topics… And numerous exciting and entertaining programmes: guided exhibition tours, documentary film premieres, panel discussions at the Artmagazin Forum, a caricature and comics auction, an art workshop for children and a special charity art project await the visitors to the Budapest Art Fair 2009 Antique and Contemporary Exhibition and Fair between the 19 and 22 November 2009 at the Műcsarnok.
At the exhibition, being the most significant forum of art dealers and art collectors since its launch 16 years ago and recently recognised by foreign art portals and professional forums as well, you can find all kinds of art at the same time and place. Besides the outstanding works of classic and modern painting and contemporary fine arts there will be valuable pieces of furniture and special artworks. Mihály Munkácsy, László Mednyánszky, István Csók, Vilmos Aba-Novák, Lajos Battyhány, Sándor Bortnyik, Béla Czóbel, Tivadar Csontváry-Kosztka, Lajos Gulácsy, Béla Kádár, László Moholy-Nagy, József Rippl-Rónai, Hugó Schreiber, István Szőnyi, János Vaszary: only a few names of the most important Hungarian artists of the 19th-20th century, whose paintings can not only be viewed but also purchased at the Budapest Art Fair 2009 Antique and Contemporary Exhibition and Fair.
More foreign exhibitors
In 2009 the exhibition will boast more foreign exhibitors than ever before: in addition to the two galleries that were introduced successfully in previous years, there will be five new foreign exhibitors at the event. Beside the Tel-Aviv- and London-based Gilden’s Arts Gallery, the Galerie le Minotaure of Paris, offering both modern and contemporary works, and the French Galerie Antoine Laurentin are being introduced. With the debut of four Viennese galleries, the honorary guest of the art exhibition will be Austria. The galleries, representing young Austrian talents and international contemporary artists – the Galerie Ernst Hilger / hilger contemporary, the Projektraum Viktor Bucher, the Galerie Steinek and the Galerie Strickner – will be in the spotlight in the Art Hall.
Forums & documentaries
However, the art fair is not only for collectors and artists, it is also an excellent cultural or weekend event for all the family: available by appointment only, there will be guided tours for small groups in which art historians will help visitors find their own interpretation of the artworks. At the professional forum of Artmagazin entitled “Caution. Wet Paint – Contemporary Forgery”, the methods of counterfeiting contemporary artworks and the techniques to recognise forgeries will be discussed. Visitors will also see a premiere made in cooperation with Várfok Galéria: on Thursday,19 November, József Böjte’s documentary Transcendere – The Artist of Gesture, István Nádler will be premiered at the Budapest Art Fair. On Friday, 20 November The Dean of Surrealism – Endre Rozsda, a documentary about the artist who died ten years ago, will be presented at the auditorium of Műcsarnok.
Caricature and Comics Auction
Fans of the ninth art – i.e. comics – should go to the Műcsarnok’s auditorium at 11am on Sunday where a unique collection of graphics will be auctioned at the Fifth Caricature and Comics Auction of kArton Galéria. The backbone of this year’s pieces under the hammer will be Hungarian graphics. Besides the works of well-known 20th century caricature artists, visitors can also bid for the works of late 19th century masters, the comics of Ernő Zórád, Imre Sebők’s piquant female nudes, reprinted posters from 1919, Sándor Lengyel’s advertising posters of the ’60s and ’70s, as well as cartoon sketch drawings and animation cells of animated films, both from Hungary (Macskafogó) and abroad (Superman), which were a huge success last year.
For children of all ages
While parents are studying the masterpieces, children are welcome on Saturday and Sunday at the art workshop, where they can paint, play with dough, draw comics and poster designs or even write a critical essay of the artworks just seen, under the guidance of professionals.
The handicraft workshop may be attended not only by children but anyone who wants to become part of a creative process and a charity programme. In 2009, within the framework of the cooperation between Budapest Art Fair and the Bátor Tábor Foundation offering complex and free therapeutic recreation programmes for children suffering serious illnesses, “courage-camp” children will work with the most famous contemporary artists in the Fair’s play house. The works will be sold in a silent auction or outside the auction at a flash price; the revenues from the auction will go to the Bátor Tábor Foundation, which will spend all the proceeds on the organisation of next year’s camps.
Raffles
Magyar Turizmus Zrt., the supporter of the Fair declared 2009 the Year of Cultural Tourism and each entry ticket to the Budapest Art Fair is also a raffle ticket! After the exhibition, high-value prizes will be drawn, including tickets and vouchers to many Budapest museums and a weekend break in Pécs, the 2010 Cultural Capital of Europe. As this year Austria is the honorary guest, the main prize is two nights at an elegant five-star hotel in Vienna, along with a Vienna Card and MuseumsQuartier tickets.
