Born in 1954 in the Hungarian town of Gyula, Krasznahorkai’s work began to garner attention in 1985 when his novel, Satantango, achieved important success in Hungary and other European countries.

His long and winding sentences are somewhat reminiscent of the style of German author W.G. Sebald, who once wrote about Krasznahorkai’s book, The Melancholy of Resistance: “The universality of vision rivals that of Gogol’s Dead Souls and far surpasses al the lesser concerns of contemporary writing.”

During his conversation in Brussels with literary critic Marnix Verplancke, the Hungarian author explained how he found a certain “overconfidence” in short sentences. “Long sentences feel more democratic to me. There’s so much freedom in writing a sentence that spans pages and pages.”

His work has often been classified as obsessive, sometimes disturbing. The New Yorker critic, James Wood, placed Krasznahorkai’s pen next to those of José Saramago, W. G. Sebald, Roberto Bolaño, though he pointed out that the Hungarian’s was “perhaps the strangest.”

On Thursday, Krasznahorkai spoke about the effect writing and taking the time to observe the world has had on him. “As time goes by and I feel its heavy passage weighing on my back, the only way I find to approach other human beings is through empathy. That’s it.”

In his latest novel, Baron Wenckheim dies after a series of tragicomic misunderstandings, and the disillusioned population revolts. Havoc reigns in the city and the sole survivor is an idiot who has escaped from the asylum. He climbs a water tower and begins to sing. But whose voice is it?

“I continue to be obsessed with that question,” Krasznahorkai said. “When you read a book and ask, ‘Who is speaking?’ Is it the author? Because when I write I hear voices. I am just the conduit. So who is really speaking? I don’t know.”

The translator of Krasznahorkai’s books into Dutch, Mari Alföldy, attended the event and spoke about some of the challenges she’d found in translating the latest book. “Syntactically, Hungarian is a lot freer than Dutch,” she said. “In Dutch sentence structure has a rather strict order, which is not the case in Hungarian. I had to look at each sentence — very long sentences — and then try to piece together all of its parts in the necessary order in Dutch.”

After the the panel discussion, the author signed copies of his books and had brief conversation with some of his readers, Hungarian and international alike.

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The 4th annual HUNGAstRY Festival kicked off this Saturday, June 29th, on one of Brussels’ most glorious summer days yet.

Thousands of attendees took the opportunity to drink delicious Hungarian wine, eat exquisite Hungarian food, listen to some fantastic original Hungarian music, and choose from a diverse array of Hungarian clothes, jewelries, and other goods – all while basking in the Belgian capital’s wonderfully warm summer sunshine.

Below are some pictures from the event, which continues throughout all of tomorrow.

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On the 29th and 30th of June the city will host Hungastry, the second edition of the Hungarian Festival, organised by the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the European Union! It enhances the Hungarian culture, history and traditions and it will introduce you to its surprises and hidden treasures. It will take place at the Cinquantenaire Park.

The festival will be a great opportunity to spend some time in one of Brussels’ best parks with friends and family: there will be several different options for the youngest, as well as for the adults!

The weekend-long festival will introduce the visitors to the Hungarian gastronomy, art, handcrafts and artisan products; it will present the folk music and the traditional dances.

Check out the program:

You may find more information on their page.

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For those with some knowledge of the country, the word can suggest several different things: those who have travelled there might mention the luxurious spas and frenetic nightlife of its beautiful capital, Budapest; classical music aficionados will probably cite the wonderful classical melodies of the country’s most famous composer, Franz Liszt; history buffs will likely allude to the country’s frequently tragic, occasionally fraught, and invariably complicated past; and followers of contemporary politics might well use similar adjectives to describe the country’s present.

In short, for those of you who, like me, would probably have answered the above question with a curt “not much”, there is a significant amount to learn – and a lot to love – about a country of which so many Western citizens know so lamentably little.

Fortunately for us Brussels-dwellers, however, there is an institute located in the Belgian capital whose chief mandate is to address (at least of some of) this ignorance. It’s called the Balassi Institute – named after the Hungarian Renaissance poet, Bálint Balassi – and last week I was fortunate enough to meet with its Director, Zsófia Villegas-Vitézy, on its stylishly-designed premises near the centre of town, just off the Rue de la Loi.

Among other things, we discussed the history, nature and current activities of the Institute, and we also touched upon the upcoming annual flagship event, “HUNGAstRY”, which is scheduled to take place on June 29th-30th this year.

Thomas Moller-Nielsen: What is the purpose of the Balassi Institute?

Zsófia Villegas-Vitézy: Our goal is to promote general awareness and appreciation of Hungarian culture, including the Hungarian language, as well as Hungarian literature, music, and art. In short, our purpose is to engage in what is sometimes called ‘cultural diplomacy’ on behalf of the Hungarian people. We also frequently collaborate with EUNIC, the European Union National Institutes for Culture, an organisation of which the Balassi Institute is a member. EUNIC’s objective is to promote European culture in general around the world. Currently, I hold EUNIC Brussels’ rotating presidency, in addition to my present role as Director of the Balassi Institute.

TMN: How long has the Balassi Institute been in Brussels for?

ZVV: The institute has been around since 2004, and I joined it in 2013.

TMN: Interesting: the Institute opened in the same year that Hungary joined the European Union. Are the two events linked, by any chance?

ZVV: Yes. Belgium, and particularly Brussels, became strategically important to Hungary when we joined the European Union in 2004. Most countries of a similar size to Belgium, like the Netherlands or Switzerland, don’t have any such institutes. Well, actually there is one in Finland, but that’s because of the long-standing cultural ties between the two countries, particularly linguistic ties.

TMN: Where are the other Balassi Institutes located?

ZVV: There are several institutes in the countries bordering Hungary, including in Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia. The institutes aren’t there just because it is important for Hungary to foster genuine intercultural understanding between its close neighbours; they’re there because a lot of these countries have significant Hungarian minorities. However, our aim is not to cater solely to them; our goal is to promote Hungarian culture among all of the citizens in the countries where we are based.

In total, there are 24 Balassi Institutes around the world, located in 22 different counties in and outside the EU. There’s one in New York, one in New Delhi, one in Beijing, one in Cairo, one in Istanbul, and many others besides. It’s an old network: more than 100 years old, in fact. Originally, the institutes were usually focussed in major European cities, like Berlin, Vienna, and Rome. But after the end of the Cold War the scope of the institutes began to expand.

TMN: Who is it funded by?

ZVV: We are funded by the Hungarian government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, but we foster international cooperation and search for Hungarian and multilateral financial sources.

TMN: How does each institute decide what events or activities to offer?

ZVV: Every year, we get a list of performances or potential projects offered to us by the Headquarters in Budapest. But they’re really just recommendations. We try to tailor our programs to the specific environments and cultures that we happen to be located in; to adapt our programs to our local environments. In short, we have a huge amount of autonomy in terms of what we decide to do.

TMN: What kinds of activities or events does the Balassi Institute organise?

ZVV: Music events, art exhibitions, lectures and discussions, basically everything related Hungarian culture, history or traditions. We also offer language classes.

TMN: Who attends these activities and events?

ZVV: A lot of different kinds of people attend our events: Hungarians, friends of Hungarians, or just people who are generally interested in learning a bit more about Hungarian culture or are interested in the topics we offer.

For our language classes, we often get offspring of Hungarian parents whose Hungarian is not quite up to scratch, who want to become better at speaking the language. We also get quite a few people who have Hungarian spouses, as well as some Belgians who have bought a summer house in Hungary, and who are keen to learn some of the language so that when they return to Hungary they’re able to communicate. Finally, quite a few ‘language-collectors’ come to our classes: these are people who simply want to learn a Finno-Ugric language of some kind, to add to the ‘collection’ of languages they already know. I should emphasise, though, that absolutely anyone is welcome to attend our classes and events, regardless of their background or motivation.

TMN: When some people in the West think of Hungary today, they think Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, and his current political difficulties and differences with the EU. Is this something that has proved to be a problem for you?

ZVV: We’re not a political institution, but a cultural one. We want to show people what Hungarian culture has to offer, in a broad sense, regardless of one’s political beliefs. As you don’t go to the opera to see political debates, you don’t visit a foreign cultural institute to dispute about the actual government or certain politicians of the respective country. There are many other places where you can do this – we are in Brussels after all.

TMN: Can you tell us a little bit about HUNGAstRY?

ZVV: It’s an annual festival, now in its fourth year, jointly organised by us and by the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU. This year it will take place on the weekend of the 29th-30th of June, in Cinquantenaire Park. The year of the festival’s launch, 2016, was a particularly special year for Hungarians, as it was the 60th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising against Soviet control of the country. However, I should emphasise that HUNGAstRY’s purpose is not political; it’s designed specifically to promote Hungarian culture, including gastronomical culture. Goulash, lángos, but other less well-known examples of Hungarian cuisine will be readily available, as well as excellent Hungarian wines. It will also feature music of all genres from folk to electric and even folk dancing lessons, for those who are keen to learn.

TMN: How popular has the festival proved to be over the years?

ZVV: Very popular. More than 5,000 people turned up to the inaugural HUNGAstRY back in 2016, and last year we had more than 10,000 people attend.

TMN: Why the focus on food, though? I mean, Hungary is also well-known for many other things: its spas, its history, its music, its literature.

ZVV: Well, you will have a chance to enjoy our music at the festival, and to take part in activities celebrating Hungarian culture and history. The founder is the Hungarian Ambassador to the EU, and the programs and the structure of the festival are based upon his ideas. But no doubt, food and wine are things that everyone tend to enjoy – and by sharing them people usually end up liking each other a lot more.

Further details:

For further details about the Balassi Institute and its upcoming events and activities, please go to its website.

For more information about HUNGAstRY, click here.

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The displayed objects give an overview of a particular style of Hungarian Art Nouveau, developed by a creative community that brought a fresh perspective not only to the arts but to lifestyle as well.

Art Nouveau, this much-celebrated and influential movement does not only encompass a whole century with its growth and development, but it also reveals the power of human imagination through its characteristic aspects. Art Nouveau has manifested itself in architecture, applied arts, painting and decorative arts as well. Since its beginning, during the industrial revolution, through the main historical events of the 20th century, Art Nouveau went through a certain transformation, which was reflected in the European architectural and decorative style Art Deco, and later in Modernism. 

As the first decorative style, it has made its way across Europe and received different interpretations from different European artists. In Hungary, Art Nouveau was known as Szecesszió. Its well-known figures were Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch and his brother-in-law Sándor Nagy, who learned their artistic skills at the Munich School, as well as in Paris and in Rome. They founded their artists’ colony in Gödöllő in 1901. 

The artists of Gödöllő were active in all fields of art. They created paintings and graphic art, book illustrations, designed churches and secular tapestries, stained glass and frescoes as well. Their works have been inspired by the elements of nature, especially the elements of gardens.  The Hungarian artists relied on the heritage of the English Pre-Raphaelites, such as the art of John Ruskin and William Morris. The vicinity of Gödöllő had an important role in art at beginning of the 20th century in Hungary due to the proximity of the town to Budapest, as the closeness of the capital gave the perfect occasion to escape into nature from the business of the big city. 

The objective of Hungarian art nouveau artists was to visualize the beauty of art, their own thoughts as well as the popular activities at the beginning of the 20th century. Their lifestyle-reforming efforts like eating vegetarian meals, doing sports daily, wearing special clothing and organising home-concerts, etc. appeared in their work. Art Nouveau is a form of „New Art » just like the name says. This movement can be interpreted as a kind of innovation originating from a different style which had already appeared decades before. 

As Art Nouveau reveals the vastness and limitlessness of human nature, there is never one correct answer, and every individual may interpret it in their own, personal way. Some of its characteristics motifs are nature, flowers, plants, curved lines and decorations which border the excessive expressivity. These motifs show up perfectly in Hungarian Art Nouveau as well. These features can also be interpreted in various ways, which gives a perfect example of the human mind. 

Art Nouveau represents the modern man. It visualizes our brain, our soul and our life path as well. Humans are always pursuing happiness, well-being, looking for eternal spring in life. However, life is not always a straightforward, easy journey. Life might throw some curves in our paths as well. Art Nouveau represents human beings in itself, and the human mind is incorporated in this beautiful and mystical art. It is our choice how want to define this beautiful style of art which is the result of a century-old transformation. 

You can experience how this transformation manifested itself in Hungarian Art Nouveau beginning 21 March 2019, at the Balassi Institute in Brussels. 

The exhibition will be opened by:

Dr. Tamás Iván Kovács, ambassador of Hungary to Belgium
Dr. György Gémesi, mayor of Gödöllő
Eszter B. Kerényi, director of the Town Museum of Gödöllő

The event will be enriched by the performance of two young talents of the F. Chopin Music School of Gödöllő and by the screening of the documentary The Artists’ Colony of Gödöllő then and now.
Réka Czelleng – folk songs
Edit Jancsó – piano

Free event upon registration:

Venue: Balassi Institute, 10 Treurenberg, 1000 Brussels

Program:

Opening: 21 March 2019, 7 PM

From 22 March to 2 May 2019

Linked to the exhibition the Balassi Institute presents two lectures and a creative workshop for children: 

23 March 2019, 2 PM – Balassi Institute, 10 Treurenberg, 1000 Brussels 

The „Hungarian Pre-Raphaelites » – Idealism and pragmatism in the work of the artists of Gödöllő by Dr Katalin Gellér, art historian (In French)

Booking: info@explore.brussels 

24 March 2019, 11AM – Balassi Institute, 10 Treurenberg, 1000 Brussels

The activity will be held in Hungarian by Eszter B. Kerényi, director of the Town Museum of Gödöllő, and museum-educator Noémi Kovács. Interpretation into French, Dutch and English  will be provided so feel free to bring your friends and classmates!

Registration is mandatory

24 March 2019, 2 PM – Balassi Institute, 10 Treurenberg, 1000 Brussels

Hungarian Art Nouveau: Artists’ Colony of Gödöllö

The conference is given in English by Cecília Őriné Nagy, curator of the exhibition, closed by a guided tour. 

Booking: info@explore.brussels

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Whilst the Hungarian government formally denies having anything to do with Gruevski leaving Macedonia to escape serving a jail term, there are reports that he entered the country in a Hungarian diplomatic vehicle, and is now accommodated as a VIP in Orbán’s private villa. Orbán and Gruevski are longstanding political allies, and Orbán’s ruling Hungarian Fidesz party, which is affiliated to the European Parliament’s EPP Group, has said that Gruevski was “persecuted and threatened by a left-wing government”.

In the European Parliament there have been calls for Gruevski to return to Macedonia to face justice, and questions have been asked about how Hungary can square the harbouring of a convicted criminal with its own national immigration and asylum policy.

Viktor Orbán now faces a choice; if he sends Gruevski back to Skopje, as the Macedonian government demands, then he can claim the high moral ground to be a supporter of the western world and a defender of democracy. If he decides either to grant Gruevski asylum, or to transfer him to Moscow, then he will be giving the clearest of signals that he is committed to the Kremlin and openly supports the Russian President’s strategic objectives in the region.

Based on his recent track record, the latter would appear to be the most likely scenario. Together with Italian and Czech populists Viktor Orbán has been campaigning to lift sanctions imposed against Russia for military aggression in Ukraine.

Russia is actively waging a disinformation campaign in Hungary to ideologically mould members of extremist organisations in the country to believe that the Russian annexation of Crimea sets a precedent for Hungary to regain its territories, primarily Zakarpattia in Ukraine. Russian policy in the region aims to question the existing state borders and to spark territorial conflict with a view to creating instability. Actions are being undertaken to promote Hungarian separatist movements in the neighbouring countries of Ukraine and Romania. Much of the funding for such activities comes from oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin such as Konstantin Malofeev, who has business interests in Hungary.

An important element of Russia’s Hungary strategy is to locate in Hungary the EU centre of the pro-Kremlin right-wing “International Movement”.  For example, events organised by the Hungarian right-wing attract participation from pro-Russian extremists from Great Britain (in particular, Jim Dowson of the Knights Templar International (KTI) and Nick Griffin of the National Front). Confirming the trend, the « Wolf » International Centre for Combat and Special Training held exercises for local activists of paramilitary organisations near Budapest in August. The head of the Wolf Centre is a Russian national Denis Ryauzov, who previously served in Russian special operations and is on a US Treasury sanctions list.

The Hungarian leadership which once so actively fought against the Soviet past, now advocates modern Russia’s policies against the West. But Orbán is not just working to weaken unity in the EU, he is actively trying to reunite Budapest with territories that formerly belonged to Hungary such as Zakarpattia in Ukraine, where 150 000 ethnic Hungarians make up just under 10% of the region’s population.

The current dispute between Budapest and Kyiv over the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia began in 2017, starting at first from a disagreement on legislation on languages and education, but then spiralling into Hungarian opposition to Ukraine’s meetings with NATO and the issue of threats to block Ukraine’s European integration process under their Association Agreement with the EU. Hungary has also provoked Ukrainian irritation by issuing passports to Ukrainian nationals from the Hungarian minority living in Ukraine, where dual citizenship is not allowed.

This is all part of a broader strategic plan to threaten the stability of Europe’s Eastern flank, in Hungary, Romania, Ukraine and the Balkans. Moscow’s main goal is to create new regions of conflict along the EU’s borders, and to split EU unity on the policy of maintaining sanctions against Russia. An absolutely key strategic target for Russian sponsored actions in the EU is Hungary, so Orbán’s next move on the Gruevski case will be instructive.

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These are just a few famous dishes of Hungarian cuisine that are waiting for you this weekend (8th and 9th of September) at Parc du Cinquantenaire, which is hosting HUNGastRY, a festival of Hungarian gastronomy, but also history, art and crafts. Dozens of people revel in the concerts, exhibitions, games, workshops, projections and the interactive program today.

HUNGastRY offers an entertainment for young and adults, a cultural celebration for natives and people who want to learn more about the Central European country. It is also a reminder how fascinating the Hungarian crafts are – the vivid embroidery, porcelains, handmade woolen slippers and bags.

The vibrant atmosphere continues tomorrow from 10:00 till 22:00, with Szabola ROKA(program for kids), INVERSEDANCE (the enchanted book), Cirkusz-Ka(jazz-folk), Indigo (jazz), Kbamoro(folk), Ed Philips & Memphis Patrol (rockabilly) and The Carbonfools (electronic pop) on the main stage.

Don’t forget to take part in one of the workshops, folk dances and take a photo with a “hussar”.

HUNGastRY – a great way to get a taste of the country before visiting!

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In addition to all that, full-day interactive programs will be held indoors and outdoors, such as Rubik’s Cube competition, exhibitions, animated film and cartoon projections, a parade of giant puppets, an adventure game, as well as interesting art and culinary workshops.

At the Game Corner, people may try the famous Button Football of the old days, make an attempt to solve the Rubik’s Cube, compete and win prizes. Children will be entertained all day at the Kids Corner, while parents enjoy the concerts and culinary delights.

Music

Among many others, the famous BM Duna Dance Ensemble (formed in 1957) will present crown jewels of Hungarian folk dance culture. Pankastic’s django-pop music will combine the sounds of golden era jazz with the authenticity of modern pop and world music. Szabolcs RÓKA, famous musician, actor, stage director will engage in magical and interactive storytelling for kids. Inversedance, a contemporary dance group will give us « The enchanted book« , about the adventures of a cheeky, little boy.

Indigó, an art-pop ensemble, will take us on an exciting musical voyage born from the union of progressive jazz and electro.

The aim of the main organizers (the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU and the Cultural Service of the Embassy of Hungary in Brussels) is to allow the public to get to know Hungary through its beautiful and diverse culture, gastronomy and history.

Showing multiple faces of the country by bringing a colorful program will allow people to know more about the country, as well as getting spending time close to one another.

In the Brussels’ environment of EU policy making, the HUNGastRY festival will take place in a beautiful, historical location. It will bring a moment of relaxation and fun to everyone who joins in.

More info

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