WHAT’S ON

CHAMBER THURSDAY AT FONÓ: ATTACCA (FREE ADMISSION) NOVEMBER 26, FONÓ Attacca World Music members all come from different musical backgrounds. As a result, their music grows from the style and the formal language of classical music and contemporary jazz, and also draws inspiration from authentic Hungarian folk music, in addition to folk music from the Balkans, Turkey and Asia. Their inspiration and guide is partly the folk music of the Carpathian Basin, particularly the pure source of Hungarian peasant music, which was extensively researched by Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, and partly of the 20th century works of the aforementioned two composers. www.fono.hu

LAST CHANCE TO SEE: KEEPING THE BALANCE: WORKS FROM THE ART COLLECTION TELEKOM UNTIL NOVEMBER 22, LUMÚ How can we find and keep the balance in a complex, contradictory and often conflict-laden reality? The question in the focus of the exhibition at once implies hope and formulates a statement that artistic discourse and confrontation can provoke thoughts and convey experiences which are specifically helpful in finding this balance. To keep the balance, it is important to distinguish contradictions in urging issues, truth from lies, important things from insignificant ones to make smart and wellfounded decisions. Art can and does make this possible. The concept of the exhibition was developed by the curators back in 2019. Since then, the world has lost its former balance. The fragility of life has become omnipresent, even in welfare states. The economy, healthcare and social systems, the cohesion between the nations of Europe are in deep crisis, and so are social relations and personal freedom. The world has to regain its balance once again, which also entails a kind of fresh start. Now, there is the opportunity not to repeat the same mistakes, to dare to seek and employ new models for our coexistence with the planet. Eastern European artists have recently experienced the sweeping transformation of socialistcommunist dictatorships. They were involved in the transition to free market economy, and often had to succumb to unrestrained capitalism as well. They witnessed revolutions, wars, irresponsible economy and poverty, and they also often saw the dreams of their parents shatter. This sensitivity and attention can be recognized in their works. Artists from this cultural scene reflect on social changes and the challenges to which we all must respond. They react sensitively to today’s problems and pressing issues. Without giving definitive answers, they point out the necessity of bringing new balance to a world that has become even more contradictory and complex than before and thus will no longer tolerate simple solutions. The works also directly address such situations of inequality that need to be resolved even more urgently than a year ago. Still, they convey hope and faith, radiate humor and joy. They are living proof of the fact that human creativity is capable of counterbalancing the difficulties of reality. www.ludwigmuseum.hu ARE YOU COUGHING? SNEEZING? MAKE SURE IT’S INTO YOUR HANDKERCHIEF! ONLINE EXHIBITION, HUNGARIAN NATIONAL GALLERY Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we face various announcements and notices demonstrating the correct form of behavior (e.g. keep your distance, put on your mask, and sneeze into your elbow or a handkerchief). Are these very different from the old routines? The poster collection in the Department of Prints and Drawings of the Hungarian National Gallery, there are 18,000 posters in addition to the work of other graphic designers (ranging from the designs for printed material to leaflets). Browse a selection of these online and find out more on the old, tried and tested genre of poster art, placards which were to educate the public about health issues. (The zenith, so far, was the 1960s when posters even exhorted people to wash their hands before eating.) www.mng.hu LAST CHANCE TO VISIT: DESIGN WITHOUT BORDERS 2020 UNTIL NOVEMBER 15, KISCELLI MUSEUM Incepted 15 years ago, this is one of the region’s most significant dynamically evolving independent pan-art exhibition and event series, showcasing the works of more than 140 designers, jewelry designers and visual artists hailing from 14 countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland) this year. The works, projects, objects and related events showcased in the exhibition emphasize the importance of productive interaction between the various disciplines of art – the visual arts, design, as well as the visual and performing arts. The selection highlights not only the artists, but also the role of social responsibility, civil society and creators in society, as well as the importance of networking. The exhibition features design objects in the narrower sense – one-off and small-batch furniture, home accessories, carpets and soft furnishings – as well as prototypes, contemporary jewelry, projects (and films about projects) that interpret genre boundaries freely, propositions that are eco-conscious, serve sustainable development or highlight the role of civil society in shaping society as a whole, and works that present the cultural and creative connections within gastronomy. The name ‘Design Without Borders’ refers both to the ever-growing number of international exhibitors and the interoperability of the various art disciplines. An express will of the curators is to demonstrate the wide array of possibilities in interpreting design. By broadening the concept, they lay emphasis on creative approach and innovation that are based on constant inspiration, dialogue between different social, professional and generation groups, the clashing of their divergent opinions, and systematically arranging and transmitting information. Design-based thinking also serves as the starting point for innovation, education, making strategies and even solving problems. www.design-without-borders.eu/

GASTROBLUES FESTIVAL DECEMBER 4-6, ONLINE Fish soup, local wines, the atomic power plant, and the Danube River with its Embankment and banks are the components that make up today's Paks, a city that is worth visiting, especially during the annual International Gastroblues Festival. Naturally, due to the pandemic, organizers have moved the festival online this year: fans of blues, jazz, rock and gastronomy are invited to enjoy concerts between 3 PM and 12 AM, featuring performers such as Nathaniel Peterson, the Takáts Tamás Blues Band, the Soulbrakers, the Sexit, and many more. www.gastroblues.hu OZZY OSBOURNE: NO MORE TOURS 2 FEBRUARY 2, 2022, PAPP LÁSZLÓ BUDAPEST SPORTARÉNA Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Ozzy Osbourne has recently announced the postponement of his forthcoming UK and European shows on his ‘NO MORE TOURS 2’ tour. Due to the unprecedented situation, the six-week trek scheduled for October 2020, will move to 2022. The rescheduled 19 date arena tour will kick off on January 26, 2022 in Berlin, and includes a brand new date in Hungary. Often referred to as the ‘Prince of Darkness’ and the ‘Godfather of Metal’, John Michael Osbourne a.k.a. Ozzy Osbourne rose to prominence in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of the pioneering band Black Sabbath, whose dark and heavy sound can be regarded, according to many, as the key to the development of the heavy metal genre. www.livenation.hu