When and for what reason was the first CAFe Budapest organized?

CAFe Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival is the offspring of Budapest Art Weeks, which started in 1991, and Budapest Autumn Festival that evolved from the former. Our goal, the point of this transformation was to create an urban arts festival, where not only music dominates, but many exciting genres are represented and public spaces turn into festival venues. Our mission hasn’t changed since: we are looking for progressive, contemporary programs, as well as local and foreign artists to be introduced in Hungary, and we also thrive to bring the concept of contemporary closer to people. Street art performances are organized to reach this goal, but our greatest challenge this year is The Fisherman’s Bastion Is Moving House! project that will reveal to what extent we can engage locals, and whether we, festival goers can build a 16-metre installation from cardboard boxes in the middle of the city.

Olivier Grossetête, an internationally recognized, Marseilles-based artist, is one of the most eccentric figures of public and community art. He has built his monumental cardboard buildings on five continents. Millions of people have taken part in building up and knocking down close to 200 instalments made of cardboard boxes. Spontaneously gathering passersby contribute to the realization of the imposing buildings which form a tower, temple or mythical castle. The constructions are sometimes 25-metre high, consist of 1500 cardboard pieces, and weigh 1.5 tons.

What do we mean by contemporary art today?

Everything that happens today, everything that is important to us right here, right now. An art work is often inspired by a classical piece of art, but if a progressive director/choreographer brings new life to this work, and his/her approach and form of expression is up to date, we can call it contemporary. For example, János Feledi and his dancers put the story of Electra into today’s setting, which is going to be thrilling.

Which art forms are highlighted this year?

This season puts special emphasis on public spaces: we co-organize (D)OPEN Your Move mini festival – with an exciting fusion of urban, street, and contemporary dance in focus – with Trafó, the dancers of Willany Leó will improvise at busy public spaces, an installation will be set up outdoors close to Madách tér, and Grossetête’s cardboard box project will attract visitors to Erzsébet tér. In addition, we have some gripping puppet shows to mark, but our music line-up is also fascinating with both classical and pop music programs. You can’t stress Péter Eötvös’ Angels in America opera enough, but Klangforum Wien is also worth mentioning as they are considered one of the most famous Austrian formations that specializes in contemporary music.

The festival lasts 17 days. How many programs are included?

We are happy to welcome visitors with more than 150 programs at 40 different venues.

Which program has a special place in your heart?

The already mentioned The Fisherman’s Bastion Is Moving House! project and the 3-day Budapest Ritmo music festival that will attract world music lovers to Akvárium. To contrast this intensive, invigorating happening, I have to mention another favourite, Margó Literary Festival and Book Fair that gives us opportunity to get immersed in talks and books. However, Margó also boasts some special music events.

Compared to the previous years, are there any changes worth mentioning? What posed the biggest challenge this year?

We try to see every festival as the very first one of its own kind, as we find it extremely important not to become indifferent towards our job. The greatest challenge this year is probably our dependency on the involvement of volunteers and city dwellers, which is essential for the French cardboard box project on 12 October. It is going to be a whole new experience for us too.

Photo by Kriszti Németh (Egy jó kép rólad)

Exciting premiers and world-famous stars are expected to grace the city with their presence this autumn thanks to CAFe Budapest. Once again, the region’s most important contemporary art festival won’t let us fall into boredom. The festival welcomes renowned Berlin-based company FAMILIE FLÖZ known for its grotesque masks and non-verbal performances. Their show titled Dr. Nest blurs the lines between the phases of wakefulness and dreaming, rationality and absurdity, creating scenes one can only witness at a lunatic house.

Admirers of dance will also have plenty of programs to choose from. As a result of a blooming cooperation with composer Felix Bunton (Basement Jaxx), iconic contemporary artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui brings an interesting choreography titled Nomad to Budapest, summoning the flora and fauna of the desert as well as wind-carved dunes. Trafó House of Contemporary Arts will give home to (D)OPEN Your Move mini-festival celebrating contemporary dance styles: hip-hop and street dance. International workshops, concept battle, numerous performances, and a world premiere are to take place. The two choreographies of János Feledi are based on essential stories that have inspired countless poets, playwrights, and composers for centuries since antiquity. Roland Szentpáli’s composition, Orpheus conjures up the tale of the musician and poet who descends into the underworld for his love, while Revenge is the evocation of Electra’s tragedy, based on the drama of Euripides and the opera of Richard Strauss.

Performed in more than a dozen cities before (including Hamburg, London, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles) with an extraordinary success, Péter Eötvös’s two-act opera, Angels in America can now be seen in Budapest. The co-production of Neue Oper Wien and CAFe Budapest will be directed by Matthias Oldag while conducting duties will be performed by 75-year-old Péter Eötvös himself.  As one of today’s most exciting jazz musicians, Israel-born pianist-composer Omer Klein comes to perform at BMC with his worldwide renowned trio; be the ear witness of why the New York Times calls him a “musician without borders”! Speaking of world music, head to Akvárium Klub where Budapest Ritmo festival will feature popular Hungarian and foreign musicians from Portugal to the Balkans, and Poland as an honorary guest.

When walking around the streets of Budapest, keep your eyes open, because who knows when you’d bump into surprising artistic pieces. Here’s a hint: famous public artist Olivier Grossetête will build the model of a truly iconic building somewhere in Budapest.

For further info, visit cafebudapestfest.hu.

Venues and Artists

Islandic musical genius, Ólafur Arnalds is to perform tracks from his latest album, re:member at Müpa Budapest, while the band of Belgian jazz musician Nathan Daems and his bassist-composer colleague, Filip Vanderbrill, Black Flower will take the stage at Instant, a venue that recently joined the list of locations. Among others, Mongooz And The Magnet and the multi-instrumentalist Ibaaku from Senegal will all perform there, as well as Swing á la Django, Juli Horányi and Máriusz Fodor.

A38 Ship welcomes Chad Lawson, the composer who is known for his work on the iconic series The Walking Dead and the movie that scored an Oscar for Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant. Girls in Pearls, the Estonian twins who are widely considered one of the most compelling pop formations of the Baltics, will deliver the best festival beats, and the German Lilly Among Clouds characterized by honest sensitivity will also hit the stage before Dóra Hegyi (Ohnody) and mïus join forces in a theatrical performance.

Akvárium Klub is a veteran when it comes to CAFe Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival. This time the venue gives home to the performance of American-Jamaican talent Masego, the artist of South-African origins who takes pride in his roots. He is often compared to and mentioned as the fusion of Pharrell Williams, Michael Jackson and Jamie Foxx that is quite an accomplishment. Akvárium will also give home to a 3-day festival, Budapest Ritmo, featuring unique world music performances, outstanding workshops and an event called “showcase” introducing young talents.

After its sweeping triumph at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival earlier this year, the very first Hungarian contemporary circus company, Recirquel will debut its brand new show, My Land at CAFe Festival. Hungarian National Ballet’s Triple Dance trilogy featuring 3 of modern ballet’s most prominent figures, Johan Inger, Sharon Eyal and William Forsythe is also scheduled to be performed.

For those of you who desire to witness an innovative production we highly recommend Joan Catalá’s multi-award winning Pelat which you can catch at Budapest’s public spaces. Another, rather surrealist performance invites you to Trafó, where the Belgian Peeping Tom company’s Moeder (Mother) takes the stage with a performance that will creep under your skin. It’s spectacular, stunt-like scenes burn into the retina, resulting in a truly impressive show.