Culture at its best
BUDAPEST AUTUMN FESTIVAL KICKS OFF 13TH SEASON
WRITTEN BY Nancy Laforest

The rejuvenation of mind and spirit is in store for culture lovers in the much-awaited Budapest Autumn Festival. Held during the second half of October, the capital city welcomes an array of striking visuals and performances by some of today’s leading local and international contemporary minds. This amusement roller coaster aims to shock, enlighten and enliven, and might even lead imaginations to unexpected destinations. Only the adventurous should embark …

The average tour bus spends about 10 minutes driving down Andrássy boulevard, with the guide pointing out beautifully renovated and dilapidating palazzos, the House of Terror or the renowned Opera House. What happens though when time and speed are professionally warped, making the bus trip seem much longer or shorter, and revealing things beyond facades? The answer is provided by a performance from e-Xplo. Composed of two Americans and an Austrian, the e-Xplo trio offers passengers a look through their often absurd and foreign eyes through this unusual guided tour, undoubtedly altering the perspective of one’s city. Enhancing emotions with electronic music, projectors and precise choreography, a different kind of bus ride, departing nightly from the Atrium Theater, seeks to capture the city’s underground pulse through an up-to-the minute multimedia performance.

YOUNG AND CURIOUS
The opportunity for exploration comes in a variety of other art forms as well, under the guidance of the Budapest Autumn Festival (BAF), which runs from Oct. 15-24. The interdisciplinary BAF, celebrating its 13th year of existence, focuses on contemporary arts and emphasizes the vitality of modernity. “This festival is young and curious, like a child who puts everything into its mouth,” said Balázs Kovalik, artistic director of the BAF. “Adults, on the other hand, are more set in their ways and tend to eat only toast for breakfast. The idea of this festival is to keep people young, in spirit at least, and to get them to experience something unknown.” In contrast to the city’s Spring Festival, which for 25 years has presented a collection of classical acts, the BAF offers works of art born from actualities. Talent from more than 12 countries will join together, in close to 90 programs, to celebrate the theme of this year’s festival: “Present Tense.”

EVERYTHING FOR THE EYE
A free-space sculpture exhibit entitled: “POINT:HERE:NOW,” will launch the festivities by appearing in seven of Budapest’s most frequented squares. For this, 10 local artists created provocative sculptures based on their reflections of current social issues and urban life. In drastic contrast to traditional architecture and statues seen in these public squares, POINT:HERE:NOW aims to raise questions on city life and the significance of contemporary installations. Leaving an audience perplexed or at least pensive on a given issue is a clear objective of modern art. The BAF, however, attempts to initiate communication between artists and audiences, making abstract concepts more tangible. The Ludwig Museum will host an interactive exhibition, one of the festival’s many Swedish-Hungarian collaborations, for those curious about the crossroads between science and art. The first local “Design Week,” comprised of 19 visual exhibits, lectures and seminars, will reflect on the past of Hungarian design and the best regional talent.

PERFORMANCE AND MUSIC
The acclaimed Batsheva Dance Company, a 40-year-old Israeli dance troupe, will give two consecutive performances of their latest show, “Mamootot” Oct. 15. In the intimate Mafilm studios, nine dancers will offer enrichment, humor and sensuality with expert finesse.

For a more risqué alternative, the Swiss Cie Philippe Saire dance company’s performance entitled ”[Ob]seen” promises to be raw, grotesque and extremely frivolous. Choreographed by Philippe Saire, it reveals the beauty of the human body in two performances Oct. 19&20.

A little gloomier, director János Térey’s first play, the “Nibelung Housing Estate,” is a judgmental study of human condition. In collaboration with the Krétakör Theater, this premier, inside an old hospital, vows to be as dramatic as its setting. Musical acts make up almost a third of the BAF’s lineup. Renowned names in the contemporary music world share the agenda with more experimental, offbeat artists. The Finnish Shouting Men, for example, resemble a conventional choir yet yell their rendition in Hungarian, their lyrics borrowed from public transportation messages and absurd rhymes. Maybe more melodic is the Sex Mob, hot from the jazz clubs of New York, or the marimba and tabla performances that will be part of the two-day percussion party. Sweaty swing and big band formations will also hit the stage, as will digital acts, chamber operas and instrumental ensembles.

ONLY AT THE FESTIVAL
Oct. 23 is the world premier of “Italia Anno Zero,” a collaborative performance by Austrian Olga Neuwirth and Roberto Paci Dálo. The two will work with Italian texts, visuals, light and a five-member band to create a comprehensible and memorable construction of noises.

That same afternoon, the Liszt Ferenc Music Academy will host 30 students performing their own compositions. With exposure in a less-than-traditional, the young composers will play in staircases, hallways and even the attic of the academy, encouraging free movement of the audience. This open house is also a lesson in architecture, as music-lovers have the opportunity to explore the odd corners of the grand art nouveau edifice.

Hungarian fashion success in London
The United Kingdom has been abuzz with all things Hungarian this past year, as Magyar Magic – Hungary in Focus 2004 presented Hungary’s culture and traditions at various locations throughout England.

One highlight was an invitation extended to celebrated Hungarian fashion designer, Katti Zoób, to showcase her Spring/Summer 2005 collection at the opening auction of London-based Christie’s Fall 2004 season. The theme of the auction was centered around traditional British furniture, and Zoób’s Art Deco-inspired catwalk show rhymed perfectly with the theme. ”The new collection ... is another rich marriage of themes and inspirations. In her use of strong geometric cuts and patterns, Katti blends futurism and the traditional roof tiles of Hungary,” said Brenda Polan, art historian and fashion journalist at London newspaper, The Guardian.

Zoób, who prepared the collection in two weeks, intends to put Hungary on the fashion map of Europe. Her next stop is Milan in February 2005, where she’ll present her collection during the famous Milan Fashion Week. ”The feedback I got from people in London only reiterated my beliefs that my creations are mature and of international value,” Zoób said.