Dear Friends, I welcome you all to the new season of the Balassi Institute, Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre in the New Year. This year our main focus is on the commemoration of the 100th birth anniversary of eminent Indian artist, Amrita Sher-Gil. We begin with a symposium and exhibition titled “AMRITA SHER-GIL – THE MAGYAR CONNECTION”. This quarter we even have an extensive India tour by the world acclaimed HAYDN BARYTON TRIO BUDAPEST who shall charm the music lovers in Delhi, Pune, Goa and Bangalore. So don’t miss our extravagant events for this quarter. Tibor Kovacs Director and Cultural Counsellor   Details of our upcoming events can be seen below by clicking on the date in the table followed by an interesting interview with a Hungarian artist couple and snapshots from our past events. Dates Type of programme Topic of the event January 1– January 24, Exhibition Vijay Kowshik glass artist January 20 Sun, 7:00 pm Theatre “The Virgin and the Beast” at Kamani Auditorium January 24 Thurs, 7:00 pm Film “Bringin’ in da spirit” – Documentary film January 29, Tues, 2:00 pm Seminar Amrita Sher-Gil – Commemorating the 100th birth anniversary January 31, February 3 Exhibition Hungarian artist couple’s show at India Art Fair February 01, Fri, 5:00 pm Exhibition inauguration Amrita Sher-Gil – The Magyar Connection February 04, 6:00 pm Literary evening Lecture on István Baka by Margit Köves February 07, Thurs, 6:00 pm Film screening “The Tragedy of Man” – Animation February 14, Thurs, 9.30 am Children’s Program “Hungarian Folk Art” – Painting competition February 18, Mon, 6:00 pm Lecture Adaptability of Hindu Values by Orsolya Szász March 05, Tues, 6:00 pm Exhibition Photo exhibition by Paulius Normantas March 14, Thursday, 6:00 pm Film screening “The Bridgeman” March 15 Friday 6:00 pm Petőfi Book Club Presentation on Revolution of 1848 by Ágnes Kirpalani March 18– March 28 Live concert Haydn Baryton Trio Budapest India Tour You can help us, by answering all the questions and clicking on the “Send Answer” button. If you wish to share your feedback, please do not hesitate to write to us on our email ID –hicc.delhi@gmail.com. Balassi Institute Hungarian Information & Cultural Centre New Delhi Exhibition  at HICC January 1–24 SYNTACTICS IN GLASS Exhibition by eminent glass artist Vijay Kowshik The corroborations of the feelings within, touching the heartstrings into implosions of light giving hope and happiness. These are the artist’s response to his art works which gets its inspirations to a great extent from Hungary because of his deep friendships with many people there. Vijay Kowshik Born 1949 s/o Prof. Dinkar Kowshik & Mrs Pushpa Kowshik. Pioneering Indian Glass artist, founding Gen. Secretary of the ARTS-GLACERHI (Art Society for Glass Ceramic & Handicrafts of India), and ISAA (Interdisciplinary Society for Art & Aesthetics) an authority in the field of art glass. Advisor C.G.C.R.I (Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata) & member Ceramic Society of India. Well known in the field Internationally and has organized and conducted various workshops, symposiums and exhibitions in India and other countries. Was also the Director of the IX Triennale India (Lalit Kala Akademi). Many major works in public and private places, has worked in glass in various countries like France, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, Slovak, U.S.A and Japan and has organized and participated in various workshops and symposiums around the world. Theatre New Delhi Kamani Auditorium January 20 Sunday, 7:00 pm 15TH THEATRE FESTIVAL “BHARAT RANG MAHOTSAV” – “The Virgin and the Beast” organized by the National School of Drama The Theatre Festival will include the participation of the Hungarian play “The Virgin and the Beast”, directed by Armand Kautzky and performed by the New Theatre – Budapest. SYNOPSIS A man with seriously burnt face lives secretly in a flat in the ghetto of Budapest. Once he was the most feared figure of the district, the leader of the Underground: The Price. One of his victims ruined his face for a lifetime, which condemns the Price to hiding. An old colleaque Bogger mediates between him and the outside world. His everyday companion is the caretaker – Uncle Sam – grows to be fond of this beast with a criminal record. Seeing the growing financial difficulties the Price is facing, Uncle Sam decides to bring a tenant into his flat, who is a young Transsylvanian girl. She arrives completely innocent, fresh from the high and far mountains and has no idea of the nature of the life of the capital., With his move, Uncle Sam, creates an avalanche. Bogger sells the girl as a prostitute, who finds her way to become a famous dancer. Meanwhile love blossoms between the Price and the girl who earns enough to enable them to escape from justice. Events, however take a predictable turn. This tragicomedy has been based on real event. Its dynamic humour, mixed with realistic tragedy is pushing the plot to culmination. This play is an absurd reflection of today’s Hungarian reality. Film  January 24 Thursday 7:00 pm BRINGIN’ IN DA SPIRIT Documentary film directed by Rhonda L. Haynes, 2003, colour, duration 60 minutes Through the use of first person narrative and rare archival images, this documentary provides a moving glimpse of the women who have skillfully brought scores of children across the threshold of existence. Narrated by Phylicia Rashad, this evocative and passionate film celebrates women who have committed themselves to holistic answers amidst powerful misconceptions about the practice of midwifery and virulent opposition from practitioners of Western medicine. Seminarat HICC January 29 Tuesday 2:00 pm onwards AMRITA SHER-GIL – THE MAGYAR CONNECTION Seminar with participation of Indian and Hungarian art historians and scholars Commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of the eminent Indian painter Amrita Sher-Gil noted art historian and scholars from Hungary and India will trace the journey of Amrita Sher-gill in India where her work rose to its peak and influenced the course of modern and contemporary art. Papers will be presented by Dr. Katalin Keserü (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest), Dr. Ágnes Pap (Librarian, at the National Széchényi Library, Budapest), Dr. Rakhee Balaram (Art Historian and Curator), Yashodhara Dalmia (Art Historian) etc. The semianr is only by registration. Please click bellow and send the answer if you want to attend, or send an e-mail to hicc.delhi@gmail.com, or call on 011- 2301 4497, 2301 4992 till 25th of January!         Will you attend the symposium?   Will attend May attend Will not attend   You can send your answers by clicking on the button (Send Answer) at the bottom of this newsletter! Exhibition India Art Fair, New Delhi January 31– February 3 VILTIN GALLERY BUDAPEST As part of the 5th edition of the India Art Fair, we present the participation of Viltin Gallery, Budapest BORSOS LŐRINC at INDIA ART FAIR 2013 / stand No. S8 BORSOS LŐRINC will take part in the upcoming IAF 2013 with a solo show, introducing their ‘Babel’ Project of VILTIN Gallery, Budapest at stand No. S8. The central motif of the project is the form of a rocket, one of the metaphors of human will. According to the Western tradition, the source of the motif is the tower of Babel. The attempt of man – after the Expulsion from Paradise, from the state of physical-intellectual-spiritual harmony – to get back there by building a sky high tower. The demand of returning to the Paradise is familiar in every culture in the World and has countless forms from space research through sacred and profane architecture to the form system of military equipment. The seemingly similar attitudes though represent radically diverse intentions: nowadays, institutionalized towers of Babel propagate the Paradise in a completelydisassembled condition. Seized its different parts, they announce the physical, spiritual, intellectual, financial, scientific or political fulfillment in exclusivity for the individual who would be willing to break free from their grip. The project will include a series of small paintings, a site specific flower-installation and a paraphrase of Amrita Sher-Gil’s work: Hungarian village market. While studying her works, BORSOS LŐRINC noticed her sensibility, artistic activity, agility and the high social impact of her works. With the paraphrases, it intends to pay honour to the great memory of Amrita Sher-Gil by the means of contemporary art. The young Amrita Sher-Gil, kicking sometimes the social norms, ascended with revolutionary verve as a rocket with her art higher and higher. Exhibition at HICC February 1– March 1 Inauguration February 1 Friday, 5:00 pm AMRITA SHER-GIL – THE MAGYAR CONNECTION Celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of the great Indian painter “It always surprises me to hear that those who can recognise the good in Western art are unable to do so as regards Eastern art. To me it seems incredible. But perhaps this is due to my double atavism…” thus spoke Amrita Sher-Gil (1913–1941), the Indo-Hungarian woman artist and legendary icon of modern Indian art. To mark her centenary the exhibition highlights one side of Amrita’s ancestry – the Magyar connection; documenting with rich material taken from the Sher-Gil family archive, the autobiographical, cultural, historic al and social Hungarian context that formed and influenced her personality and work. The exhibition is curated by her niece, the documentary film maker Navina Sundaram.         Will you attend the inauguration?   Will attend May attend Will not attend   You can send your answers by clicking on the button (Send Answer) at the bottom of this newsletter! Literary eveningat HICC February 4 Monday 6:00 pm ISTVÁN BAKA Lecture by Dr. Margit Köves This year we commemorate the 65th birth anniversary of István Baka (1948-1995) poet, editor and translator. He was born in the small town of Szekszárd like his great predecessors, Mihály Babits and Miklós Mészöly. He attended the University of Szeged graduating with a degree in Hungarian and Russian Language and Literature. In spite of his early death he is regarded today as a major, original voice in Central European literature, renewing and developing the traditions of masks adopting different identities in poetry. In the course of the evening, selections from the poetry and prose of Baka will be read by students of Hungarian. Fábri Film Clubat HICC February 7 Thursday 6:00 pm THE TRAGEDY OF MAN (AZ EMBER TRAGÉDIÁJA) Animation, directed by Marcell Jankovics (2011), colour, duration: 160 minutes Cannes Palme D’Or winner and Oscar-nominated Hungarian legend of animation, Marcell Jankovics adapted the script of The Tragedy of Man in 1983 from Imre Madách’s play. The production of the film started in 1988 but only concluded at the end of 2011 after two and a half decades of struggle. The most acclaimed Hungarian play was written 150 years ago, it has been translated to 90 languages, being constantly compared to Goethe’s Faust or Dante’s Divina Comedia not only because of its theme but also due to its qualities. The film follows the structure of the play: it consists of 15 acts that guide us through the past and the future of mankind. The narrative begins with the creation of the world, the first and the last acts frame the story that show us Adam and Eve travelling through space and time in search of the meaning of life – with the guidance of Lucifer himself. The first human couple travels from the Paradise through prehistoric times, the ancient Egypt, Hellas, Rome, the medieval Byzantine Empire, Kepler’s Prague, the French Revolution to the London of the XIX. century, then Jankovics rushes us through the last 150 years of Europe and we get an insight to the future. The film is a highly dramatised version of the play: while it keeps the philosophical profoundness of Madách’s book it also highlights visually its unique wit and makes Lucifer’s fight for the soul of the first man more compelling than ever. Children’s Programme  at HICC February 14 Thursday 9:30 am–12:00 pm CHILDREN’S PAINTING COMPETITION Hungarian Folk Art The Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre presents the most awaited and exciting annual event for school children. Students from various schools of Delhi will participate in this colourful extravaganza. This year’s theme would be “HUNGARIAN FOLK ART”. Lectureat HICC February 18 Monday 6:00 pm ADAPTABILITY OF HINDU VALUES Pre- and Post-Independence Hindu Movements The lecture will be presented by Orsolya Szász who is presently in India under the Indo-Hungarian Exchange programme doing research work affiliated with the Dept. of Anthropology, University of Delhi. The topic and field of her research is the connection between Hindu values and social welfare activities among the disciples of Guru Satpalji Maharaj. The presentation focuses on the last period of Hindu history, which is the best example of the adaptability of Hindu belief, worldview and practices. In the second half of the 19th century, the joint threat of British political authority, the Christian missionary activity and the Muslim influence founded those reform and revival Hindu movements which sought to evoke the ancient Hindu traditions while easing from the degradations, superstitions and social evils attached to them. Exhibitionat HICC March 5- April 5 WITH A WANDERING LENS Gypsies in India and Hungary Photo exhibition by Hungarian–Lithuanian photo artist Paulius Normantas  The exhibition forms a unique sync of the gypsies in Hungary and India showcasing the similarities yet the distinctions in them. Depicting the wandering life-style of the Gypsy tribes of Rajasthan with beauty, dignity and intense emotions, while giving a more factual ethnographical ‘report’ on the already settled Hungarian Gypsy community of Szablocs-Szatmár-Bereg county is the main characteristics of Normantas’ photographs. One can see the two groups of pictures as a comparative study through the lens of this wandering photographer. Fábri Film Clubat HICC March 14 Thursday 6:00 pm THE BRIDGEMAN (A HÍDEMBER) Hungarian film, directed by Géza Bereményi (2002), colour, duration: 145 minutes The story of the film takes place between 1820 and 1860 set against the Habsburg Monarchy, and portrays the life of a Hungarian aristocrat, who was born with extra-ordinary mental and spiritual talents and into a wealthy background. In the years following the fall of Napoleon the young count Széchenyi irresponsibly seduces his brother’s wife, and the consequent scandal ruins his career as an officer. The sudden death of the humiliated woman brings a drastic change in the character of the formerly shallow young man, who after this event becomes obsessed with responsibility, and seeks to conquer his fate by creating great works. Petőfi Book Clubat HICC March 15 Friday 5:00 pm HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION OF 1848 15th of March – the anniversary of the Revolution’s outbreak Presentation by Ágnes Kirpalani The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. The revolution in the Kingdom of Hungary grew into a war for independence from the Austrian Empire, ruled by the Habsburg monarchy. Many of its leaders and participants, including Lajos Kossuth, István Széchenyi, Sándor Petőfi, József Bem, are among the most respected national heroes in Hungarian history. Concert Tour Neemrana, Delhi, Pune, Goa and Bangalore March 18– March 28 HAYDN BARYTON TRIO BUDAPEST – INDIA TOUR The HAYDN BARYTON TRIO BUDAPEST was founded by Balázs Kakuk in 1980 with the intention to revive Joseph Haydn’s almost 200 compositions for baryton – an original instrument of Prince Esterházy Miklós, the Magnificent – in order to perform the pieces in authentic and original instrumentation. The Ensemble plays all Barytontrios from Haydn as well as quintets, octets and the barytondivertimenti from other composers of the Esterházy circle. Film music records, TV-production’s, concert tours worldwide.The members of the trio include Balázs Kakuk, József Spengler and András Kaszanyitzky.     They will be performing as per the following schedule: 18th March, Monday 7:00 pm: Neemrana Hotel, Neemrana 20th March, Wednesday 11:00 am: American School (workshop) 21st March, Thursday 6:30 pm: India International Centre, New Delhi 23rd March, Saturday 7:00 pm: Mazda Hall, Pune 25th March, Monday Goa 28th March, Thursday 7:30 pm, Alliance Francaise : Bangalore CALL FROM INDIA In the last edition of our newsletter, we had interviewed an Indian who visited Hungary and shared her experiences with us about the place, culture etc. This time we interview an artist duo Lilla Lőrinc and János Borsos who are visiting India to participat in the INDIA ART FAIR representing the VILTIN GALERIA. (Photo courtesy: Miklós Sulyok) Is this your first visit to India and how did this trip materialize? Yes this is our very first trip to India, but we hope that it is not the last one. About a year ago our gallery Viltin asked us if we would like to attend to the IAF 2013. We had an idea for a new project, which was accepted by the jury of IAF. They also thought that according to our work method, the best thing would be to let us get involved – as much as possible – in everyday life in India. They wrote to the Hungarian Information and Cultural Center if they could help us realize this in any way. They were very kind and invited us to stay and work in the institute in New Delhi. They had also drawn our attention to the 100th anniversary of Amrita Sher-Gil’s birthday. Since you are participating in the India Art Fair this year, what are you expecting as artists from the fair? First of all we would like to get in touch with the audience here in India to know more about life here and how they relate to contemporary art. But we interested in the financial aspect of the fair also. Tell us something about your works which you will be displaying at the India Art Fair? We made a site specific installation here mostly with works inspired in India. The central motif of the project is the form of a rocket, one of the metaphors of human will. According to the Western tradition, the source of the motif is the tower of Babel. The attempt of man – after the Expulsion from Paradise, from the state of physical-intellectual-spiritual harmony – to get back there by building a sky high tower. The demand of returning to the Paradise is familiar in every culture in the World and has countless forms from space research through sacred and profane architecture to the form system of military equipment. The seemingly similar attitudes though represent radically diverse intentions: Nowadays, institutionalized towers of Babel propagate the Paradise in a completely disassembled condition. Seized its different parts, they announce the physical, spiritual, intellectual, financial, scientific or political fullfilment in exclusivity for the individual who would be willing to break free from their grip. The project will include a series of small paintings, a site specific flower-installation and a paraphrase of Amrita Sher-Gil’s work: Hungarian village market. While studying her works, we noticed her sensibility, artistic activity, agility and the high social impact of her works. With the paraphrases, we intend to pay honor to the great memory of Amrita Sher-Gil by the means of contemporary art. The young Amrita Sher-Gil, kicking sometimes the social norms, ascended with revolutionary verve as a rocket with her art higher and higher. Have you visited any Gallery in India? So far we were a few times at NGMA only to arrange the Amrita Sher-Gil paraphrase project we are working on, and to look at the amazing miniature exhibition they have at the moment. The director of HICC, Mr. Tibor Kovács took us to Niv Art Centre to see where we will work on our paintings and an installation for two weeks, we also met the owners of the building and the artist residency program there, Aruna and Shaji Mathew. Tomorrow we are going to see Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, and participate in the opening of the exhibition titled Zones of Contact. One of the curators is a young art historian, Akansha Rastogi, whom we met at an artist residence atelier complex south from Arjangarh Metro Station, at the beginning of the jungle. Do you plan to travel to other places in India during your stay? We would like to get closer to the Himalayas, Rishikesh maybe, to find some mountain crystal rockets in the fields. Are there any Indian artists who inspire you? We know of course the works of a few famous inspiring contemporary artist from India like Anish Kapoor, Bharti Kher or Subodh Gupta, but our intension is to meet and share interests with young contemporary artists based in Delhi to know more about what is going on here. We have already met some of them like Pratik Sagar, Kush Badhwar, Surya N. Singh through a Hungarian friend of ours, Levente Polyák, who is an architect. What comes first to your mind when you think about India? Lilliput in Gulliver. Please share an interesting incident during your tour to India? How the people live here seems very chaotic, but it is still more lively way than what we know in Europe, Hungary. What is your message for our readers? No problem. Snapshots from the past events Christmas Concert by the Capital City Minstrel on 3rd December 2012 Syntactics in Glass – Glass Exhibition by Vijay Kowshik on 4th December 2012 Mikulas Day 6th December 2012 Date: 22.01.2013