Taking a shower at the Ludwig Museum in Budapest



Workstation - Antal Lakner - Ludwig Museum / Budapest

 

Yes, I just had a shower at the Ludwig Museum and also washed and dried my hair in the mini bathroom. Saturday we visited the museum and and the exhibition of Antal Lakner. Workstation is the most comprehensive display of the artist's work - also the most fun exhibition I've ever seen in any museums in the world. Lots of things to discover.

 

One part of the exhibition space turned into a gym - showing fitness machines - allowing visitors to practice the motions of manual labour just like wheelbarrow pushing, wall painting or sawing. Without creating any final product of course. I also did some stretching exercises in an elevator.

 

While trying on the double gravity suit the volunteer who helped me started to talk about the micro-gravitation flotation cabin. After just spending half a minute in the double gravity suit (it was too heavy) I wanted to know more about the cabin. She said that I have to book an appointment online. We were so lucky that could get in next day - probably some people cancelled their visits as the timetable was fully booked otherwise.   

In the cabin there is a small pool with salty water - stronger than the Dead sea. There is a small door to get it then you close the door and slowly lie down in the water. Be careful as the salty water is not good for your eyes. In 5 minutes the lights go down and you have about 30 minutes to float in darkness and silence. At the end a piano tune wakes you up from the silence and off you go to was off the salt. A unique experience indeed. 

 

Chatting to the lady who is there to supervise and help she told me that some people left the place just after a couple of minutes, some put the lights back and some of them wanted to book in again.

The exhibition is on until the end of the year so keep checking the museum's website!

Budapest, Ludwig

Cold here - perfect time for art. Don't miss the Mapplethorpe exhibition at the
Ludwig Museum when in Budapest. I especially liked his early polaroid pictures.

There are 2 more exhibitions on right now - one of them is the artists'
cooperative Societe Realiste. Panton codes, maps, logos, symbols and much more.

Recently opened -  a new exhibition from the collection of the museum:
the hero the heroine and the author. If you are a regular visitor of the
museum you must know most of the works exhibited on the second floor.

Rita Ackermann left Hungary 20 years ago and moved to New York. Her
exhibition at the Ludwig Museum is her first time in Budapest ever since.
The exhibition presents her works from the past three years - paintings, videos,
drawings and prints. Get her monograph or at least have a look at it at the
exhibition as the touch of  the dust jacket feels just so good. Not to mention
the beautiful reproductions in the book. (photo by Török Viktória)    

Less than a day and the exhibition is over so hurry up if you haven't seen it yet.
Yona Friedman: Architecture without building at the Ludwig Museum in
Budapest. (Photo by Török Viktória)

No high heels otherwise you cannot climb up - and a helmet is a must (given
to each visitor). Photo by Török Viktória

The istallation was built up by volunteers and the museum team - led by the French
Group EXYZT. (photo by Török Viktória)

Budapest born Yona Friedman left Hungary in 1945. First went to Israel then
moved to Paris where he lives since. He became internationaly known in the
 '50s with the ideas of mobile architecture.Most of his plans never built but
his books and wrinings kept them alive. (photo by Török Viktória)

"Somewhere in Africa there is a great black man collecting art from Europe and
America, buying his Picasso for 23 coconuts..."
Nedko Solakov: The Collector of Art. Installation view at the Ludwig Museum,
Helyszíni szemle - Site Inspection, Budapest. Photo by Török Viktória

The great collector's mother-in-law made these dolls of the competitor collectors:
Ludwig, Saatchi and Thyssen-Bornemisza. Then she wanted to use pins...I guess
there is no need to explain how.... This is how she wanted to help him.
Nedko Solakov: The Collector of Art. Installation view at the Ludwig Museum,
Ludwig Museum, Helyszíni szemle - Site Inspection, Budapest. Photo by Török Viktória

Judit Kele: I am a work of Art. Action at the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest, 1979,
 photo documentation. For three days she stayed in front of an empty space
of a lent El Greco and displayed herself as a work of art.
Ludwig Museum, Helyszíni szemle - Site Inspection, Budapest. Photo by Török Viktória

The employees of the museum rated the museum as a workplace.
Ludwig Museum, Helyszíni szemle - Site Inspection, Budapest. Photo by Török Viktória

Opening of the Moholy-Nagy Exhibition, Ludwig Museum, Budapest
photo by Török Viktória

Opening of the Moholy-Nagy Exhibition,Ludwig Museum, Budapest
photo by Török Viktória

Amazing crowd! It is the opening of the Moholy-Nagy Exhibition in the Ludwig Museum tonight! Dj on the terrace and special visuals, too. What a party! No chance to see the works - have to be back soon...

Viki TOROK BlackBerry®



Royal Academy of Arts by Török Viktória

After last year’s Treasures from Budapest exhibition this summer Hungarians will take over the Royal Academy of Arts in London again.  I love going to the Royal Academy, the building is amazing and you can feel the history inside while walking up the step. They have a superb bookstore and gift shop – even selling china decorated with Tracey Emin’s drawings. (I picked her as she is one of my favourites). Books are great and their Christmas cards are beautiful. Actually the Treasures from Budapest exhibition catalogue you can buy here in Budapest in the bookshop of the Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum).

To celebrate the European Presidency of Hungary there will be a Hungarian Photography Exhibition – opening end of June. Artists like Brassaï, Munkacsi, Moholy-Nagy, Kertesz and Capa – all in one place. There will be pictures from war to Hollywood film stars and pictures which capture the period of economic and social change in Hungary and Europe between 1914 and 1989.

Almost two years ago there was a Robert Capa exhibition in Budapest in the Ludwig Museum.  Capa who is considered to be the greatest war photographer ever was born in Budapest in 1913. After leaving Hungary he had an amazing life travelling around the world, living in hotels, and having friends like Ernest Hemingway or Pablo Picasso and a love affair with Ingrid Bergman.