There’s a street in Budapest where the gallery per square meter and artwork per capita indexes are the highest in the country. The name? Falk Miksa street, of course! In case it’s managed to slip through your cultured little claws so far, though, we’re here to tell you all about it. The street – between Kossuth tér and Szent István Körút – is a Mecca for Budapest’s art collectors. It’s a neighborhood nexus of locations, with galleries and their reliably impressive exhibitions attracting a year round artisan crowd. It’s where renaissance and modern, baroque and art nouveau coexist harmoniously, and make for a fascinating wander – even if you don’t have squillions to spend!
The one-day-long festival held in Falk Miksa street, the Falk Art Forum, will be turning the central axis of the gallery district into a pedestrian precinct for the second time this year. There’ll be no cars allowed, and instead the street will be packed with art. On Saturday October 3rd, Falk Miksa’s (almost 50) galleries and auction houses will host over a dozen events – many of which will also be taking place in the street itself. The Falk Art Forum has been organized for the 7th time, with the welcome support of the 5th district’s local government. This time, the organizers aim to focus upon the theme of the chillier time of year, autumn.
Despite, and actually as a result of, the current crisis, the art market is booming. The coinage and purchasing of contemporary fine arts and antiques has retained its value over a long-term period, making them a worthy investment. Accordingly, the festival is set to be a great opportunity to become acquainted with the art world and the value of works on the market. According to experts, a decrease in value in this field isn’t to be expected either. This is apparently due to the fact that a decline in antiques on the market can be seen all over the world. The effect being that the value of the products to be sold is consistently increasing. On the other hand, the contemporary art market is following tendencies from abroad, and the number of auctions taking place is solidly increasing. Amongst other things, Falk Art Forum will aim to introduce works on offer in the gallery district from this aspect as well.
During spring’s Falk Art Forum, a wall-sized creation, inspired by Budapest, was created by the street art artist group, Neopaint. The work was bought by the Rotary Klub Tabán, and the auction of it will be held during this autumn’s event – the revenue of which will be given to support underprivileged and talented children.
As well as some great art, The Falk Art Forum will feature performances, guided art exhibitions, jazz and artists composing on the spot. Of course, as the event’s long-standing tradition goes, visitors will have the opportunity to rest on benches painted by contemporary artists especially for the festival. In between all this, take a stroll between Kossuth square and Szent István Körút, grabbing tasty bites along the way and soaking up a real French feeling.
One of the best things about the event, perhaps, is the fact that it opens up the sometimes seemingly inaccessible art world to a wider public, no matter what age, gender or nationality they are, or how big their bank balance. So, leave your arty inhibitions and prejudices at home, as Falk Miksa street is most definitely not only open to millionaires, and gallery owners and sellers will most definitely be happy and proud to show everyone around – whether you can buy the lot or not!
Highlights in a Nutshell:
– Events hosted by nearly 50 galleries
– Charity auction of a work of Neopaint street art
– Exhibition of five autumn auctions
– Award ceremony and exhibition of the second Silverpicture Photography Contest
– Celebration of the Hungarian-Japanese year (exhibition of Japanese fine arts)
– Concerts, Children’s events
– Guided art exhibitions, Art performances
– Introduction of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts students
– Exclusive antique tour in English at 3 p.m.! Exciting shops and galleries, two hours, with English-speaking experts, drinks & snacks. Small groups guaranteed. Reservation essential. 6,500 HUF / person. Call +36.20.4704676 or email info@harmonytours.hu.
October 3, 2 p.m.-10 p.m
1055 Budapest, Falk Miksa utca and its neighbourhood
www.falkart.hu (Hungarian only)