Balatonfüred - development of the Modern Gallery
8230 Balatonfüred, Blaha Lujza utca 3
8230 Balatonfüred, Blaha Lujza utca 3
From 22nd April, Balatonfüred is home to Hungary's newest contemporary exhibition space, MOdern MŰtár (MOMŰ, Modern Gallery), a collection of fine art and photography owned by hydrologist professor András Szöllősi-Nagy and painter Judit Nemes, husband and wife. The modern and contemporary collection, mostly representing international geometric and concrete art, has returned from Paris after thirty years and has found a home in two iconic villa buildings of Balatonfüred as part of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme.
The Szöllősi-Nagy couple started building up their art collection in Budapest in the early 1970s. Their first acquisitions were works by some of the then living masters of the European School. In the late 1980s, the couple moved to Paris, where they focussed their collecting activities on the works of Hungarian artists and photographers still living in France in the 20th century. From the mid-1990s onwards, they turned their attention to international art. First French geometric artists, then Swiss, Dutch, German, Swedish, North and Latin American concrete and geometric artists, were added to the collection of thousands of works by Hungarian artists.
The most important pieces of the collection are housed in two renovated buildings in the reform-era quarter of Füred, opposite Blaha Villa, and the museum's exhibition halls are complemented by a library, a historical repository and a community space. The exterior of the two former villa buildings retains its original appearance, while the interior - after renovations based on the plans of interior designer Miklós Batisz - is a worthy venue for the presentation of international material. The passage between the two buildings is made possible by a curved glass corridor designed by architect András Vikár, which is perhaps one of the most exciting spaces in MOMŰ. The sculptures intended for this area can be comfortably walked past and are illuminated in the evening. The MOMŰ logo was inspired by the work of Vera Molnar by graphic designer Anna Farkas, and was then used to create a three-dimensional sculpture by József Zalavári.
The Szöllősi-Nagy couple started building up their art collection in Budapest in the early 1970s. Their first acquisitions were works by some of the then living masters of the European School. In the late 1980s, the couple moved to Paris, where they focussed their collecting activities on the works of Hungarian artists and photographers still living in France in the 20th century. From the mid-1990s onwards, they turned their attention to international art. First French geometric artists, then Swiss, Dutch, German, Swedish, North and Latin American concrete and geometric artists, were added to the collection of thousands of works by Hungarian artists.
The most important pieces of the collection are housed in two renovated buildings in the reform-era quarter of Füred, opposite Blaha Villa, and the museum's exhibition halls are complemented by a library, a historical repository and a community space. The exterior of the two former villa buildings retains its original appearance, while the interior - after renovations based on the plans of interior designer Miklós Batisz - is a worthy venue for the presentation of international material. The passage between the two buildings is made possible by a curved glass corridor designed by architect András Vikár, which is perhaps one of the most exciting spaces in MOMŰ. The sculptures intended for this area can be comfortably walked past and are illuminated in the evening. The MOMŰ logo was inspired by the work of Vera Molnar by graphic designer Anna Farkas, and was then used to create a three-dimensional sculpture by József Zalavári.
