Is it all in the hue?

DOES BLUE SYMBOLIZE MERELY SEA AND SKY, or could the favorite color of the renaissance masters also be associated with the color of a snowflake? Drawn to blue and all of its shades, French conceptual artist Yves Klein raises these questions and looks beyond age-old traditions and associations of color and space that otherwise limit artistic boundaries. The Nice-born, self-taught artist views the color blue as a symbol for limitless space, and spiritual purity, a color dominating his artistic works to the extent that he created an ultramarine color known as “International Klein Blue.” Other than his obsession with those things blue, the artist also concentrated on freedom and space, focusing on “short-lived,” or impermanent architecture with building material like air, fire and water. A collection of Klein’s drawings, texts and photographs are on display at the MAK Center in Vienna in an exhibition entitled “Air Architecture.” Among artworks showcased will be Klein’s “fire pictures,” where the artist used flame-throwers in order to burn configurations into cardboard.
Making the exhibition somewhat more colorful are screenings of film sequences where the artist’s most transitory works come back to life, including the creation of a “climatically controlled” environment by architect Francois Perrin. Adventure into artwork and creations that stretch and mold the perceived idea about color, forms and space. Stick too close to Klein, and maybe you will start getting accustomed to concepts like “blue ketchup” and “green eggs and ham” … who knows?

INFORMATION
Yves Klein: Air Architecture
DATE: Through Aug. 28
VENUE: MAK – Museum of Austrian Applied
Arts and Contemporary Art
ADDRESS: Stubenring 5, Vienna
CITY, COUNTRY: Vienna, Austria
TELEPHONE: [431]

Playfully yours … Juan Miro

AT FIRST SIGHT, JOAN MIRO’S BROADLY KNOWN PAINTINGS AND ARTWORKS are playful and even childish. Even so, his colorful simplistic forms and colors paved the way for many, and left a strong mark on today’s artistic expression.
Following large-scale exhibitions of renowned artists like Claude Monet and Alberto Giacometti in the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, next on show are the works by Miro – the Spanish surrealist painter and sculptor. While the idea of having “blockbuster”- type exhibitions in Budapest is one many in the arts community have waited for a long time, exhibitions of late have been hyped on big names, and perhaps not backed up with as compelling content. Let’s hope that this exhibition will be a positive surprise. Among the 48 exhibited artworks are nine paintings, nine smaller sculptures and 30 “rare replicas of the artists graphics.”
The exhibition covers the different artistic stages of Miro’s oeuvre, starting with the painting styles of Cubism and Fauvism, followed by the introduction and integration of surrealistic elements into his art and all while staying true to his Spanish roots, with Catalan and folk art motifs. This “touring-exhibition” is a selection of Miro’s works from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia collection which visited Santiago de Chile and Sophia before arriving in Budapest.

INFORMATION
Juan Miro:
DATE: Through Sept. 30
VENUE: Museum of Fine Arts
ADDRESS: Dózsa György út 41.
CITY, COUNTRY: Budapest, Hungary
TELEPHONE: [36] 1.469.7100
www.szepmuveszeti.hu

Life on canvas

CHOOSING LIFE'S MOST MEMORABLE and tragic moments to record for future generations is a hard task. An exhibition in the Hungarian Institute in Paris features works by Transylvanian-born Swiss painter Valentin Lustig. Now living in Zurich, Lustig’s painting series brings back the memory of “Hóka néni,” the artist’s aunt who died at Auschwitz during World War II. In the seven-painting series, Lustig follows the main stations of his aunt’s life with realistic and fictive elements, enriched with Christian quotations. Beginning the series are scenes from Hóka néni’s childhood and student years. The paintings show a positive life – yet muted by grayish and gloomy colors - suggesting that as his aunt’s life progressed it would be filled with tragedy and sorrow.
While the paintings become more colorful and rich, in the “Hóka néni debacle,” the dramatic suffering and tribulations of Auschwitz become more real poignant. The last painting, entitled “The unexpected return of Hóka néni,” shows the tired and fragile aunt returning – or resurrected – to find nothing as it was before: “She resisted most of the temptations, which bore fruit, and life certified her ... her heart is free of vengeance, she believes in the future of humanity,” explains Lustig. Life goes on.

INFORMATION
Valentin Lustig
DATE: Sept. 21–Oct. 18
VENUE: Hungarian Institute in Paris
ADDRESS: Rue Bonaparte 92
CITY, COUNTRY: Paris, France
TELEPHONE: [01] 43.261.20
www.instituthongrois.org

Border - line fantasy

THE SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL – one of the most important film festivals in southeast Europe - celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The festival is one of 12 eminent European film festivals that nominate short-film competition winners to the annual European Film Academy awards. The Sarajevo Film Festival is recognized as the most significant festival in the region. This year, more than 500 films will be shown. Films will also be screened by a jury including British director Mike Leigh, Peter Scarlet, director of the TRIBECA Film Festival in New York, Romanian actress Diana Dumbrava and Sarajevoborn director Pjer Zalica. Zalica took home top honors at last year’s festival with his first feature film “Fuse,” which won five awards. Zalica will have the honor of opening this year’s festival with his new film “Visiting Uncle Idri.” Already selected for this year’s documentary category are 10 films, among which include “Suite Habana” from Cuban filmmaker Fernando Perez, “Like Twenty Impossibles,” directed by Palestinian Annemarie Jacir, “Surplus” by Swedish director Eric Gandini as well as films from Israel, Denmark, the US, Ireland and Russia. The event takes place at six venues and features categories including a regional program – which showcases feature, short and documentary films from the region.

INFORMATION
Sarajevo Film Festival
DATE: Aug. 20-28
ADDRESS: Hamdije Kre_evljakoviça 13
CITY, COUNTRY: Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
TELEPHONE: [387.33] 668.186, 668.187
www.sff.ba

Swapping Cultures

THE NETHERLANDS, wich took over the EU presidency from Ireland in the second half of 2004, has initiated a significant bilateral cultural event focusing on Hungarian culture – a worthy progeny of Magyar Magic in London. The year-long Dutch season will feature youth-oriented and popular music as well as classical music concerts and events. Among exhibitions in the Netherlands will be János Szoboszlai from the ABC Gallery and an architecture-photography exhibition by Ákos Birkás. Concerts by popular Hungarian bands will be given by Anima Sound System, Besh-o-drom and Hungarian gypsy music by Parno Graszt, Romaro Drom and Béla Lakatos Szakcsi. Hungary’s National Philharmonic Orchestra, Keller-Hausmann and the Budapest Festival Orchestra will also play the melodies of Mozart, Bach and Bartók. In Hungary, Dutch photographer Wim Lamboo will present an extensive photo exhibit in the Fészek Gallery and Jeane van Heeswijk will show off various cultural models in a public space exhibition called “The Production of Space” in the Ludwig Museum. In the music category, other events will include a meeting of Holland-Hungarian jazz musicians, the 7th Big Ear Festival and Magpie Music and Dance Company.

INFORMATION
Hungary at Sea – Thinking Forward
DATES: September-November
ADDRESS: See festival program, website
CITY, COUNTRY: Budapest and several other
cities, Hungary
TELEPHONE: [36]1.266.1357
www.hongarijeaanzee.nl

Confronting obsessions

DURING THE PEEK MONTHS OF SUMMER, impulsive contemporary dance beats cannot be silenced, in Vienna at least. Some 35 acclaimed and emerging companies from around the world will perform 44 contemporary dance works during the monthlong festival, ImPulsTanz, the Vienna International Dance Festival. The unique mixture of various cultural heritages and artistic forms of expression will center on the burning issue of globalization. French choreographer and dancer Mathilde Monnier will give three performances, among which “Publique,” deals with pleasure, exhibitionism and voyeurism in dance. The Compagnie Marie Chouinard, lead prominent by Canadian choreographer Marie Chouinard will perform pieces in her unmistakable and utterly original dynamic and sensuous style. Acclaimed for his “contemporary Kathak” dance style, Akram Khan will perform his combination of traditional Indian Kathak and western contemporary dance. From the UK, of Bangladeshi origin, Khan will show a new work at the festival, anticipated to be bolder than his restrained creativity in the past. Further performances will be given by independent Chinese choreographer Wen Hui as well as young Moroccan choreographer, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, who will stage “Tempus Fugit,” a piece on why humans are obsessed with time and how human identity is linked with our perception of time. Take a break from your everyday reality and everyday turmoil and unwind in the turmoil of these noted choreographers, who take you beneath the surface of their worlds that are sometimes soothing and sometimes disturbing. Take your pick.

INFORMATION
ImPulsTanz, Vienna International Dance Festival
DATES: Aug. 8-July 8
VENUE: See festival homepage
CITY, COUNTRY: Vienna, Austria
TELEPHONE: [43] 523.5558
www.impulstanz.com

Silent images

SPANISH ARTIST FRANCISCO DE GOYA was known for his liberal way of applying art and expression, and his paintings, drawings and etchings paved the way for the modern age. His work reflects the controversial upheavals of his home country in an individual and experimental way. The artist’s famous satirical etchings and graphic sequences are on exhibit between at the Leopold Museum in Vienna in an exhibition entitled “Francisco de Goya: The Graphic Cycles.” The victim of a short and destructive illness, Goya became permanently deaf and isolated and turned toward his keen observations of human behavior. He created a series of etchings called Los Caprichos, in which he portrayed everyday human weaknesses and errors, and mixed surreal and real elements, mythical and historic characters. He found absurd and bizarre images. Well hidden from the world because of the sensitive nature of the topic, the “Los Desastres de la Guerra” etching sequence portrays Goya’s true feelings about Napoleon’s war against his beloved country, as well as his personal view of the true nature of humankind. After the war, Goya began a series depicting the dramatics and power of Spanish bullfights in his “La Tauromaquia” etchings, followed by “Los Disparetes” (Absurdities) – sometimes known as “Proverbios” (Proverbs) – which shows a deeply pessimistic Goya dealing with pain and death. Dig deeper and experience the ambivalence of a Goya’s silent yet, vociferous art.

INFORMATION
Francisco de Goya: The Graphic Cycles
Date: Through Sept. 20
Venue: Leopold Museum
Address: Museumsplatz 1
City, country: Vienna, Austria
Tel: [43] 1.525.70 – 1507
www.leopoldmuseum.org

The living heritage

THE SEVENTH ANNUAL JEWISH SUMMER FESTIVAL will bring Jewish heritage and culture into the spotlight of Hungarian society. This year’s festival will include a program entitled: “Book Days and Film Days,” with screenings of films by Theodor Herzl and Kálmán Latabár, and an exhibition by multi-talented media personality Róbert Alföldi in the Gödör Club at Erzsébet tér. Further exhibitions will be presented in the Jewish Museum and the Budapest Gallery. Here too, the works of Lajos Vajda and Endre Bálint – Hungarian avant-garde painters – will be presented in an exhibition entitled: “This Land is My Land.” Daily programs during the week-long festival include cantor and classical music concerts, theatrical performances, operette shows and sonnet evenings. Opening the festival’s borders to larger cities around Hungary, programs will also be held in eight cities including Szeged, where Éva Marton – Hungarian soprano opera singer known for her ability to cover the widest feasible repertoire - will perform a song recital. The Town of Nagykôrös will be host to the Goldmark sonnet evening, while Pannonhalma will hold an exhibit detailing Jewish theater artists’ role in the Hungarian cultural history between 1837-1944. This year’s festival aims to strengthen the organizers original goal of bringing to life a festival that focuses on creating a bridge between cultures, and finding patterns and motifs similar in ethnic groups that can brace unity and future cooperation.

INFORMATION
Jewish Summer Festival
DATES: Aug. 29 – Sept. 5
VENUE: See festival homepage
CITY, COUNTRY: Budapest, Hungary
TELEPHONE: [36] 1.343.0420
www.jewishfestival.hu