The Collective Exhibition of the Hungarian Applied Arts Association,1896

In 1896, the Hungarian Applied Arts Association held its Collective Exhibition in a freestanding pavilion in the Iparcsarnok (“Great Hall of Industry”). The theme chosen for the exhibition, “Made in Hungary”, was aimed at demonstrating that Hungarian craftspeople could work to the same standards as the best foreigners. The exhibition was thus designed to give a boost to the applied arts in Hungary. To enable artisans of modest means, who could not afford to make pieces for display, the Association made preliminary orders, or gave interest free loans, or provided artisans with good designs. The technical proficiency of Hungarian craftspeople was excellent, but there were problems with the artistic aspects. Copying or slavishly imitating existing objects was prohibited, and there was a need to raise the involvement of designers with artistic abilities. The first choices for exhibitors were artists and teachers who had already proven their abilities in this area. They were commissioned to design objects that incorporated the new, rapidly-advancing style movements that expressed the spirit of the age.

Györgyi K. 'A Magyar Iparművészeti Társulat kollektiv kiállítása' in: Magyar Iparművészet. Az iparművészet 1896-ban - Milléniumi emlékkönyv 1897, 139-147.

by Jessica Fehérvári