The Hungarian Pavilion opened at the International Architecture Exhibition

Photo credits: Norbert Hartyányi

In the spirit of "free space", the central theme of the Biennial, the exhibition presents an exceptional episode in urban history that puts fundamental urban development issues into a new perspective, a press release sent to Budapest Business Journal says.

Starting from the ideology-free "occupation" of Liberty Bridge by local residents, the exhibition examines significant urban issues. What does the free public space mean? How can a bridge become a media of freedom? How does spontaneous occupation of public space inspire city planners and architects? How can we make our city liveable and lovable and how does it affect our identity?

“If the visitor leaves the hustle and bustle of the Biennale behind and walks up to the temporary lookout built in the atrium of the pavilion and looks down at Giardini from a previously inaccessible perspective, pausing for a few minutes in the free space above, she or he may symbolically savor the grand experience of spacemaking; just like those young people who sat and talked on the abutment of Liberty Bridge in Budapest, losing themselves in the view of the river and the city, or the locals and tourists doing yoga or having a picnic on the closed bridge,” explained Julia Fabényi, national commissioner for the Hungarian Pavillion. 

The exhibition, organized by the Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, is open to the public from May 26 to November 25. More details can be found at the museumʼs dedicated website: biennale2018.ludwigmuseum.hu