By Sofia Jackovics
Budapest is a hive of countless cultural activities and a hub of unique art spaces. Here are four of my favorites such gems including three that are very much off the beaten track.
Hungarian Art and Business (HAB)
Hungarian Art and Business is located in the center of Budapest. It was established in June 2023. It’s a place that shows art and business, a place for contemporary art creators for ideas and creativity to grow.
HAB is one of the most beautiful buildings located on Andrássy út (road). It’s a classic great white palace. The building’s style is a neo renaissance villa. This building used to be a heritage site, then was constructed in the late 1800s for a summer resident. It was constructed again in 1898 by another owner as an architectural residence. Now, to this day, it’s a contemporary art and business place.
When entering HAB, you enter the main floor where there’s a restaurant and cafe with many tables and chairs, and a children’s corner for them to draw and play. Taking the spiral staircase to the top floor, there’s the main exhibition gallery area that consists of two rooms with high white clean walls and light brown hardwood floors. Going down to the bottom floor on the same staircase, you will see the workshop where the artists can work, leave their projects, and have meetings.
Many of the artists who show their work pieces are locals. They have also started showing artwork from artists from different countries. They change them almost every couple of months to show new artists and newer works of art, including paintings, prints, photographs, and different types of sculptures as well.
For those who are interested in contemporary art, please visit HAB on Andrássy út, where you can grab a bite and enjoy the arts.
House of Music
The House of Music is located in Városliget (City Park), Budapest. It was established in January 2023. It’s a museum to show traditional Hungarian music and others from around the world.
The House of Music building was designed by an architect who creates buildings in a natural setting with trees and plants surrounding it. The building has many windows to capture the natural sunlight. The color is a combination of brown and gold.
Entering the House of Music, there’s the main floor where you purchase your tickets, next to a souvenir shop. Once you purchase the ticket, you either take the elevator or the spiral staircase, where you enter three different exhibitions: one, the temporary exhibition; two, the permanent exhibition, and three, the dome room. In the dome room, you can visually see light moving around while listening to music, sitting on the floor on beanbags. There’s a café on the top floor with drinks and cakes. When entering outside, there is a musical playground for children and adults.
They also have concerts at this museum, outside the building. Invite local bands, mostly Hungarian folk music.
If anyone loves music, then I definitely recommend this museum, where you can learn new things and listen to new music and songs. It’s good for all ages.
Ernst Gallery
Ernst is located by Ferenciek tere (square) in Budapest. Its owner opened his own gallery in 2008. The gallery was designed in an artistic, antique, and luxurious way.
The building is on the corner of a street, a perfect location for a gallery to be. It’s close to a church and some restaurants and cafes, good for locals and tourists to visit. When entering the gallery, there are many oil paintings on all the walls and antiques on pedestals.
This gallery is to show Hungarian art throughout the world. The art shown is of rich Hungarian heritage with paintings, posters, antiques, and jewelry. This small, peaceful gallery is to show the power of antique Hungarian works of art.
It’s a quiet and beautiful place, if you are interested in seeing Hungarian art, here is the place to go to learn more about Hungary’s culture in art.
Lado Gallery
Lado is located in Budapest in the Klauzál tér market hall on the second floor. The gallery owner is a businessman who rented out the location from the government. Who later made it into a modern gallery. The gallery aims to be in a less open setting.
The gallery shows contemporary art in all media, mostly seen paintings and sculptures.
They are all for purchase at the location itself and have opening days for the new artists. Every two months, there’s new art shown. The art can also be seen on the gallery’s websites and social media.
If interested in more modern contemporary, and is interested in purchasing, I suggest visiting this gallery.
Photos by Sofia Jackovics
