Petőfi Literary Museum - Kassák Museum
PRESS RELEASE
New exhibitions in the Kassák Museum
The Kassák Museum, that belongs to the Petőfi Literary Museum, has operated since 1976. The function of the museum is to preserve the material and intellectual legacy of Lajos Kassák (1887 Érsekújvár – 1967 Budapest, writer, editor, artist) to study it with scientific approach and to present it as a colorful experience to visitors. The works of art, the publications and the manuscripts that form the basis of the collection came to the Petőfi Literary Museum as a courtesy of Mrs. Lajos Kassák Klára Kárpáti. As a result of the continuous collection, the current stock of the museum is about 1700 works of fine art, 17000 letters and manuscripts, more than 3000 photographs, almost 4000 books, periodicals and prints and more than 200 relics. The museum has been directed by art historian Edit Sasvári since October 2010.
TWO EXHIBITIONS OPEN ON APRIL 19TH
Kassák!
The new permanent exhibition of the museum
Opening: April 19, 2011, 5 pm
On the opening event welcome speeches are given by László L. Simon, writer, chairman of the Cultural Committee of the Parliament and Balázs Bús, mayor of Óbuda–Békásmegyer.
Opening speech: Éva Forgách, art historian
The exhibition, the visual representation of the oeuvre of Kassák in the setting of a Baroque palace challenged the curators and the designers of the exhibition. In the end, choosing a bold solution, a black blade wall directs visitors from the reception hall to the exhibition space which evokes the dynamic appearance of avant-garde in the contemporary art world.
After some years, the Kassák Museum is awaiting its visitors again with a new permanent exhibition. The exhibition provides a comprehensive view of the versatile oeuvre, the editorial, art and literary activities and the public roles of the great figure of Hungarian avant-garde. With the help of the contemporary documents, publications and works of fine art one can follow the highlights of Kassák’s career and the personal aspects of his course of life. Illustrations help visitors find their way around in the diverse international connections and the rich literary and journalistic work of Kassák. The different topics can also be studied in digital form with even more illustrations and explanatory texts.
Many exciting questions about the oeuvre will be presented by thematic exhibitions which will relate closely to the permanent exhibition and are planned to be organized annually in the future. In the line of the exhibitions displaying the latest research results, the presentation titled Kassák and the political systems will be the first, opening this autumn.
The museum of avant-garde – the Kassák Museum is 35 years old
Opening: April 19, 2011, 5 pm
On view: April 20, 2011 – September 18, 2011
The temporary exhibition sums up the 35 years history of the museum with the help of contemporary documents and photographs. This was the only museum in Hungary that has become the thematic showroom of historical avant-garde over the decades. The former director, Ferenc Csaplár played a major role in having the fine artist Kassák accepted and in exploring and presenting through exhibitions the history of Hungarian avant-garde. The exhibition also remembers him.
FURTHER PLANS
The aim of the head of the institute is that the museum step up to be an acknowledged location of Kassák researches carried out in the region and to become a factor in the international research of modernism. The museum continues to provide professional audience with a possibility for research, publishes scientific publications and organizes conferences. As a new feature, the content of these, the new research trends and results will be available soon on the website to be launched shortly. The realization of the new concept is accompanied by a new image.
To the general public and especially to young people the museum will offer museum education activities, irregular literature and art history classes and multi-lingual guided tours. We also plan to publish educational material in Hungarian and in English on Kassák and the avant-garde art. The Kassák Museum would like to attract lots of visitors with its colorful programs and play a prominent part in the cultural life of the capital city and that of Óbuda.
Contact and photos:
Katalin Szőke
Public Relations, Kassák Museum
+36-20-447-4036 szokek@pim.hu
János Erlitz
Petőfi Literary Museum
+36-1-317-3611 /213
erlitzj@pim.hu