Hungarian cultural programmes across Turkey

The Liszt Institute Istanbul organised a number of Hungarian-related cultural events throughout Turkey in April. It included the screening of 13 Hungarian films with Turkish subtitles at one of Istanbul's most prestigious international film festivals, as well as the participation in Turkey's most attended festival, the Orange Blossom Carnival, also a highly successful concert by Adrienn Krausz during the Liszt Ferenc Piano Season and the celebration of Turkish Children's Day.

From 16-28 April 2024, the Istanbul Cultural and Arts Foundation organised one of the most honored international film festivals in Istanbul for the 43rd time. The event, assisted by the Liszt Institute Istanbul, featured a selection of Hungarian films from the past decades in the thematic block entitled "Hungarian Rhapsodies". The local movie lovers could watch the following masterpieces: Péter Bacsó: The Witness, Gábor Reisz: Explanation for Everything, Péter Gothár: Time Stands Still, Zoltán Huszárik: Sinbad, Márta Mészáros: Adoption and Marcell Jankovics: Fehérlófia.

A comprehensive art event entitled Beyond Borders: A Journey into the World of Hungarian Contemporary Art, consisting of exhibitions, conferences, discussions and workshops, was held on 16 April 2024 in Kütahya, in the exhibition hall of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dumlupınar University. Through the works of five Hungarian masters of arts; Frigyes Kőnigyes, István Orosz, Róbert König, Sándor Krizbai and Tamás Konok, visitors were given a taste of the work of outstanding contemporary Hungarian artists. The opening ceremony was attended by Musa Işık, Governor of Kütahya Province, Eyüp Kahveci, Mayor of Kütayha, İsmet Güral, Honorary Consul of Hungary in Kütayha, Viktor Mátis, Ambassador of Hungary to Ankara, Prof. Dr. Süleyman Kızıltoprak, Rector of Dumlupınar University in Kütayha. The exhibition will be open until 3 May 2024. During the workshops at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dumlupınar University in Kıthyā, artists Frigyes Kőnig and István Orosz showed examples of their artistic practice, as well as holding master classes and panel discussions, and curator Kemal Orta gave a guided tour for students.

For the 12th time, the International Orange Blossom Carnival, one of Turkey's most visited outdoor festivals has been held in Adana, south-eastern Turkey. The Liszt Institute Istanbul has been a participant of the event for years, but this year, in partnership with the House of Traditions and in the framework of the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year, the Institute has realized a more significant Hungarian cultural presence than ever before. Handicraft products, including felt, chuhé, folk leatherwork and bead jewellery, were also available for purchase. During the three days of the festival, Antal Novotny, the House of Traditions' masterchef, and Tamás Sinka, the masterchef of the Embassy of Hungary in Ankara guided the visitors through the world of Hungarian folk gastronomy. Information material on the dishes was also prepared in Turkish, so the visitors could watch the cooking process and read the written material. Folk music and folk dancing were also part of the Hungarian Court. Dancers Erika Maklári and László Farkas invited the audience to dance several times a day with live music by Csongor Mokos. One of the highlights of the festival was the Orange Food Show at the Sheraton Hotel in Adana, where chefs Antal Novotny and Tamás Sinka presented Hungarian dishes, and the Institute set up a Hungarian stand, providing a large Hungarian cultural presence at all the highlights of the festival.

In the framework of the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year 2024, the Liszt Ferenc Piano Season, consisting of 7 suitable concerts and masterclasses, began in Istanbul between 23 February and 16 December. The season is organised by Mehmet Mestçi, Director General of the Opus Amadeus International Chamber Music Festival in Istanbul, a former student of the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, who was awarded the Hungarian Cross of the Order of Merit in 2022 for his initiatives in promoting Hungarian classical music in Turkey and developing Hungarian-Turkish cultural relations. The concert series took place in one of the most frequented areas of Istanbul, in the heart of the Beşiktaş district, at the Maritime Museum on the banks of the Bosphorus. On 22 April, pianist Adrienn Krausz gave a concert.

Children's Day is celebrated across Turkey on 23 April, in honour of the day dedicated to children by the founder of the Republic of Turkiy, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. A great number of events are organised for children throughout the country on this day. Following the Orange Blossom Carnival in Adana, a delegation of four facilitators from the House of Traditions, led by Szidónia Péter, travelled to Istanbul to hold a craft workshop at the Istanbul Design Museum. At the stalls set up in one of Istanbul's most prominent historical areas, next to the Suleyman Mosque, visitors could try their hand at felt making, folk embroidery, spinning and needlework techniques. The event was organised in cooperation with the Municipality of Istanbul.