Since the day of its establishment in 2000, the Magma Lakásművészeti Galéria is the venue where Hungarian artists exhibit on a regular basis:

November 2000 Exhibition of textile art by Szilvia Vereczkey.The opening address was given by the renowned aesthete Andràs Réz.

June 2001 Exhibition of textile art by Zsuzsi Szabo and Judit Gulyas. Guests were treated to an introduction by Andràs Szalai, the Art historian, as well as a delightful performance given by the Ballet dancer Eszter Lovisek. Judit Gulyàs opened her permanent exhibition in our gallery, of carpets fashioned from wool.

September 2001 Display of glass works of art by Màrta Edöcs, as well as pieces of furniture designed by László Szikszai. The musical animation was provided by Péter Sziámi Müller, accompanied by the models of Tamás Király.

November 2001 In collaboration with Vidal Paris Lauren, a spectacle entitled “Divat Percei” or Instants In Fashion followed on from an introductory performance by the actress Ildiko Incze, and fellow-actor László Bor.

March 2002 Art Exhibit of the works of the painter Tibor Fazakas, entitled “ Mediterranean”. The Overture was performed by the actress Anikó Für, followed by a pantomime directed by Tamás Kiss.

June 2002 Exhibition of the textile art of Anna Regös, introduced by Sándor Fábry, and musically accompanied by the "Horst Tappert Collective”.

May 2003 Exhibition of the artwork of the painter Eszter Csurka. To open the proceedings, Szilvia Nyitrai presented a short film on the exhibit’s paintings, together with an introductory address delivered by Jànos Schiffer.

 

Magma Lakásművészet

Gallery in Budapest, on Petöfi Sàndor Street

It’s about the meeting of an interior architect and business premises in the town centre, sliced up and in poor health but with its spirit still intact, radiating the passage of years gone by, a splendid wooden façade forming its pretty face. It’s also about inspiration and vision, by offering the best possible surroundings to Hungarian artists, giving them the opportunity to prove the pure scope of their talent and full breadth of their know-how.
Indeed from the day it opened, this locale quickly exceeded its primary purpose of gallery and salesroom by becoming the meeting-place of friends, artists and buyers, for discussions and debate.
The interior layout reflects this multi-purpose function and results in a discreetly elegant showroom, its warm and friendly atmosphere adding value to the works on show.
Throughout the main body and divided between two levels, natural materials have been used and their original colours have been retained. The walls, for instance, have been rendered with reclaimed bricks and the flooring resurfaced with beechwood, inlaid with ceramic strips.
The show space is encircled by a round gallery, accessed by an iron staircase with wooden-clad steps. The spiral movement of the stairway perfectly complements the semi-circular structure of the ceiling.
During the demolition work, we discovered magnificent studded-steel columns which were then fully restored to their original state of beauty. The structural girdles were wrapped around with cord, so avoiding the need for a false ceiling, which would have brought down the available space.
The distribution of furniture and display stands gives total priority to the objects on show. From design stage, through to identifying solutions and effecting the work, bringing the “Magma Galéria” to life has been one of the most satisfying and gratifying projects of my career.
My sincere thanks go to the person whose vision conceived this project, as well as to those who brought it into being.

Veronika B. Szabo
Architect, Interior Architect