Where we were staying within the 7th District of Budapest, you didn't need to venture far until you came across art adorning Budapest's once empty firewalls, and crumbling facades. Walking around the city is jammed full of galleries, and museums, featuring collections of artwork from historical Hungarian through to contemporary art. Even with all these on offer, what really caught my attention as we meandered through the streets was turning the corners to see the large murals. Inspired by the way they are using artwork to brighten up and re-invigorate their city. Budapest has a strong artistic landscape consisting of these modern murals, street art, painted facades, memorial statues, installations even down to sticker and pavement art. This use of decorative painting although having evolved doesn't seem to be a new trend within the city. It's just as visible when walking around Matthias church or Buda Palace, where painting was used as a form of ornate decoration, rather than intricate stone carving. While many of the dilapidated buildings have found a function as the world famous ruin pubs, bars or got some got much needed renovation, many houses were also torn down leaving behind empty firewalls. This is clear to see as you walk around the abundance of empty lots converted into outdoor garden bars, parks, and food markets, all using art to define the spaces. A number of dilapidated buildings in the city have been transformed into works of art thanks to the Façade Rehabilitation Project. Neopaint works, a group of street and graffiti artists started in 2010, have been instrumental in this initiative, working on a large number of murals mostly within the old Jewish Quarter. One of Neopaints works is the Polish-Hungarian Friendship tree, highlighting the common ties between the countries and cultures. The street art rather than just being decorative also has political connotations, that sometimes from first glance aren't understood. The text on the mural in part reads Hungary and Poland are two forever-living oaks, which have their own trunks, but their roots are far beneath the earth.
This city of art is evolving continuously and every year and in the Színes Város Festival various artists from all over the world come to Budapest to create large murals inspired by a particular promoted theme, this year was gastronomy and wine, highlighting the booming community farmers markets. Színes Város meaning colourful city is a civil organization that works to beautify the ruin walls around Budapest, with their biggest event being the street-art festival started in 2014. This year's event was also linked with Berlin, with artists coming over to paint in the festival and giving Budapest artists the opportunity to paint a mural in Berlin, linking the communities together.
Whilst exploring I found that progressive graffiti characterises Pest, while the Buda side appears calmer in its colours and forms with less murals, with the Danube in the middle. Each of these sides though in the same city could not be any more different, and this is reflected in the art within the spaces. As I discussed where I had been and what I had seen I found myself utilising these variations as a point of reference, using the art as place markers around the city from which I navigated. The art, installations, and murals all depict a story of Budapest and its history, from which I understood the city. Though street art adorns many different urban city spaces, Budapest in itself has become a living art gallery.
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AuthorDaisy Denny-Higgins ArchivesCategories |