During this presentation of the field’s 150-year history, we concentrated primarily on the most important participants, tasks, and results in connection with activities aimed at preserving built heritage. The collections maintained by our institution are the same age as historic preservation here, so its history can be followed precisely through our documents. Through both iconic and lesser known rehabilitation projects, we present the numerous changes in preservation’s guiding principles, the perspectives of the various professional fields participating in the work, and the possibilities for conservation, as well as the relationship between contemporary architecture of specific periods and historic properties. Ruins as a phenomenon are covered and we point out the significance of speculative reconstructions, while also showing the relationships between historic preservation and society as well as politics.
The ten sections are primarily illustrated through drawings, photographs, watercolor copies, writings, and books. The experience is enriched using audiovisual content. The results of the renovations of the Salamon Tower in Visegrád and the church of the Benedictine abbey of Pannonhalma as well as the changes in the conditions of the buildings can be seen through “moving posters”, and a few highly detailed drawings from the print and drawing archives are shown within the context of monumental projections.
At least 150 people were in attendance for the opening of the exhibition. Those present were welcomed by the state secretary for architecture of the Ministry of Construction and Investment Regő Lánszki, the vice-president of the Hungarian Academy of Arts Attila Turi, and the director of the Hungarian Museum of Architecture and Monument Protection Documentation Center Dr. Kornél Almássy. The show was opened by the art historian and director of the Boldog Gizella Archdiocese Collection Dr. Veronika Nagy.
The exhibition is open to visitors between the 14th of September and the 20th of November 2022.
Location:
Pest Vigadó
1051 Budapest, Vigadó tér 2.
Opening hours: every day between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Curators: Erika F. Dóczi, Zsófia Kádár, Gergely Kovács
Project manager: Zsuzsanna Bakó
Design and graphics: Zsófia Lukács DLA, Antal Bodóczky, Péter Flanek, Orsi Frey, Júlia Molnár, Zsolt Petri
Photographs: Zsófia Nyirkos
