Kaisaniemenkatu 10, 00100 Helsinki
A quintessence of Hungarian metalsmith art – gold and silver jewellery, special coin series and statuettes – is displayed in the Finnish capital for more than two months in the exhibition of the Hungarian Cultural Institute in Helsinki.
The exhibition was curated by Katalin Katona, Head of the Section of Metalsmith Art in the Association of Hungarian Fine- and Applied Artists. The participating artists are members of the section: Vendel Bicsár, László Kálmán, Katalin Katona, József Kótai, Éva Molnár, Sándor Oláh, István Schuszter and Zoltán Tóth.
The exhibition offers a special treat for those keen on applied arts because „metalsmith” is a distinctively Hungarian concept and the Hungarian way of learning the trade is unique in Europe. Contemporary metalsmith art is rooted deep, as metal smithery has been an integral part of Hungarian culture for more than 1000 years.
While in the Western part of our continent, artisan smithery is generally understood as goldsmithery, contemporary Hungarian metal art is defined by the use of different raw materials (silver, copper, bronze, iron and chrome steel), a wide range of technical methods (from traditional processing to laser cutting) as well as various shapes and themes. This diversity can be traced in the exhibition featuring artefacts from jewellery, coin series and statuettes to major sculptures.