Art Market - Contemporary Art Fair with 100 exhibitors from four continents

18 October 2023 Attila Ledényi, founder and director of Art Market Budapest, Anita Forintos-Szűcs, deputy CEO of the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (MDDÜ) and Csaba Káel, CEO of Müpa Budapest (b-j) at the 13th Annual General Meeting. Art Market Budapest at the press conference of the contemporary art fair Bálna Budapest on 18 October 2023. About a hundred art galleries, institutions and other exhibitors from thirty countries of four continents will be presented at the event. MTI/Zoltan Balogh

About a hundred art galleries, institutions and other exhibitors from thirty countries of four continents will be exhibiting from Thursday to Sunday at the 13th Bálna Budapest building. Art Market Budapest contemporary art fair (AMB), which is joined by an art and art market conference called Inside Art.

Art Market Budapest goes far beyond an art fair and aims to be a cultural and awareness-raising platform that draws attention to topics such as contemporary Roma art, the relationship between design and fine arts, the sustainability of culture or visual culture in the digital age, the founding director of AMB said at a press conference in Budapest on Wednesday.
According to Attila Ledényi, the importance of Art Market also transcends the boundaries of fine and photographic art in other respects. According to international reports, the high-quality cultural offer is one of the biggest attractions for the high-end traveling public, so AMB and its accompanying events also contribute to the touristic attractiveness of Budapest.
He highlighted the strong presence in the Far East, with galleries from South Korea, China and Japan, as well as exhibitors from important art markets such as South America, South Africa and the United States.
However, almost half of the exhibitors represent Hungary, and more than 300 Hungarian artists will be presented at their stands in an international environment, he stressed.
The biggest exhibition stands this year will be inhabited by the Hungarian acb and Erdész Gallery, the Romanian Jecza, the German M Beck and Art Affair and the Colombian Adrian Ibanez Gallery, he noted.
According to Attila Ledényi, photography is one of the most important breakout areas for Hungary in the international cultural space, both for large, classical photographers and emerging, young artists.
That is why Art Photo Budapest, the region’s only photography fair, was established a few years ago as the photography section of AMB, he added.
As he said, this year AMB does not focus on the art scene of a country of honor, but on contemporary Roma art: The international Roma art festival SHUKAR.T awaits the audience with colourful programs both in the Whale and in external venues.
Attila Ledényi highlighted the stand of the Godot Gallery, which will be dedicated to one of the most unique Hungarian painters, Imre Bukta this year.
He added that statues of Áron Majoros appear in several places in the community spaces of AMB, and he also drew attention to the works of one of the most significant contemporary Hungarian photographers, Anikó Robitz, which can be seen at the stand of Photon Vienna.
Attila Ledényi also highlighted the AMB's co-events: 360 Design Budapest is the region’s most important design industry event and Liszt Festival is one of Europe’s most exciting contemporary art festivals, he said.
Anita Forintos-Szűcs, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (MDDÜ), said that 360 Design Budapest will be exhibited at a new location in the Adria Palace building from this year onwards, with the works of sixty designers, artists and applied artists.
More than 200 works will be presented at the event, 15 regional brands and 14 emerging designers will be introduced, and guided tours and professional discussions will also be held.
Csaba Káel, CEO of Müpa Budapest, said that the Liszt Festival was launched three years ago, with the aim of bringing the legacy of Ferenc Liszt close to today's audience with the help of premieres, legendary performers and contemporary productions of historical significance.