Hungarian Embassy showcases postwar artwork

The Hungarian Embassy presented an exhibition of abstract art in Seoul on Friday.

Titled "Folded -- Unfolded," the exhibition was co-hosted by the Hungarian Embassy, the Hungarian Cultural Center, and the MNB Arts & Culture. The exhibition presented 15 influential Hungarian artists’ abstract paintings and films from behind the iron curtain t hat were made from the 1960s to the 1980s.

The exhibition, which concluded Saturday, drew upon works from the collection of Magyar Nemzeti Bank -- the Central Bank of Hungary -- which are managed by the bank’s cultural branch, MNB Arts & Culture, the Hungarian Embassy said in a press release.

According to the embassy, "Folded -- Unfolded" introduced the works of both widely known and newly discovered Hungarian artists and illustrated the broader historical and political contexts within which these artworks were made.

The exhibition is grounded in an artistic tradition that is at once quite different from that of Korea, featuring artists who were active in Hungary and those who sought political asylum in France, Germany, and other European countries during the post-war period, said the release.

The artworks in the exhibition highlighted the experimental approach, bold use of color, and depth of character highlighted in works of artists such as Simon Hantai, Janos Fajo, and Kossuth Prize Ilona Keseru Ilona and Judit Reigl.

Meanwhile, newly designated Hungarian Ambassador Istvan Szerdahelyi noted the exhibition as significant in showcasing postwar art in Hungary.