‘We live in a country rich in cultural treasures,’ emphasized the Deputy State Secretary for Public Collections and Cultural Development of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (KIM) at the opening ceremony of the 6th Art and Antique Fair on Wednesday evening at the Budapest Bálna shopping and cultural centre.

Máté Vincze stated: ‘There is a long tradition of respect for beauty in Hungary, and this tradition needs to be revived, which is why the Art and Antique Fair is an excellent forum for this, where works by both classical and contemporary artists are displayed.’ According to the Secretary of State, what connects galleries, collectors, artists, and art enthusiasts is that they all aspire to more than what ‘pre-packaged consumer products offer us’: they all strive for uniqueness and distinction. ‘All this imposes on us the task of spreading visual culture and demanding appreciation for visual culture. Let’s support artists and make art part of our lives,’ Máté Vincze noted.

The fair, which runs until Sunday, features about forty classical and contemporary galleries, auction houses, and thousands of artworks awaiting visitors, including paintings, sculptures, jewellery, unique carpets, furniture, and antique books.

The most valuable piece at the fair is

a painting by József Rippl-Rónai, which has not been seen for almost eighty years and is worth around 300 million forints,

exhibited at the stand of the Judit Virág Gallery.

At the classical and contemporary art event, the Kálmán Makláry Fine Arts Gallery exhibits Judit Reigl’s Black Explosion, a 1955 artwork, while Initio Arts & Design presents a 1971 painting by the most famous Hungarian abstract painter Simon Hantaï, estimated at more than 100 million forints, which has reappeared after more than 50 years in a private collection in France.

The Nemes Gallery showcases, among other things, one of the most significant works of Gyula Batthyány, which has been lying dormant for almost a century. The Nudelman Numismatica stand displays two tapestries by Ilona Keserü and a dinner service of 230 pieces for a dozen decorated with the Kossuth family coat of arms.

As in previous years, Art and Antique is also organizing an online charity auction on the Axioart platform: this year’s beneficiary is the Foundation for the Ballet Students of the Hungarian State Opera.

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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/MTI