A week rich in Hungarian culture in Slovakia
The first week of November was dedicated to Hungarian culture in Slovakia, where the Liszt Institute Bratislava [PV1] actively participated in organizing several prestigious events. The music, film and visual arts programs showcased the diversity of Hungarian culture, while also highlighting the importance of Central European cooperation and historical remembrance.
As in previous years, the Liszt Institute Bratislava once again took an active role in the Festival Slobody (Freedom Festival), a program series organized annually by the Nation’s Memory Institute (ÚPN) to mark the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution on November 17. At the festival’s opening concert on November 4, Hungary was represented by singer Orsolya Hagen and pianist Tünde Gosztola, who performed a selection of wartime songs by Katalin Karády to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The concert, held in the Slovak Radio Concert Hall, was attended by around two hundred Slovak and international guests and broadcast live on Slovak public radio. As part of the commemoration, participants paid tribute to the anniversary of the suppression of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the subsequent entry of Soviet troops.
The festival continued between November 6 and 10 at the Kino Filmeurope cinema in Bratislava, where, in cooperation with the Liszt Institute Bratislava, two Hungarian films — Tall Tales and The Ambassador to Bern — were screened. Both films explore themes related to the historical memory of totalitarian regimes, closely aligning with the focus of the Freedom Festival. Barnabás Tóth’s Tall Tales evokes the uncertain post-World War II period, while The Ambassador to Bern by Attila Szász portrays a lesser-known episode from the aftermath of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The films were shown not only in cinemas but also in educational settings, accompanied by panel discussions and historical analyses. Audiences received the Hungarian productions with great enthusiasm and appreciation. The series of cultural programs in Bratislava was further enriched by Gábor Kudász Arion’s exhibition Tropical Depression, on display at the Liszt Institute Bratislava from November 3 to 21. The photographic series uniquely combines reality and fiction: using AI-generated and digitally manipulated images of Vietnam, the artist explores the boundaries between documentary and imaginary imagery, prompting viewers to reflect on the authenticity of photography and the nature of visual narratives. The exhibition was curated by Zuzana Laptíková and organized as part of the 35th International Month of Photography by the House of Central European Photographers (SEDF). The exhibition attracted and continues to attract considerable interest from both Slovak and international audiences.
The week concluded with a performance by double bassist Péter Kubina in Banská Bystrica at the 15th BassFest+ International Festival, held from November 6 to 9 and organized by the Banská Bystrica Academy of Arts and the Slovak Double Bass Club. Representing Hungary, Péter Kubina — principal bassist of the Hungarian National Philharmonic and associate professor at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music — performed at the festival, where double bassists and cimbalom players presented Astor Piazzolla’s History of Tango, one of the highlights of the festival’s international program. This year, BassFest+ featured not only concerts but also masterclasses and professional symposia, making the presence of Hungarian musical talent particularly prominent at the event.
The early November program series organized by the Liszt Institute in Bratislava vividly demonstrated how Hungarian culture and historical memory can be presented authentically and engagingly in the Central European region. Collaborations in the fields of music, film, and visual arts strengthened Hungarian-Slovak cultural ties, showing that exploring a shared past and fostering artistic dialogue serve both the understanding of history and the promotion of future cultural cooperation.
