"Our House" Collection

The part of the collection referred to as “Our House” documents the professional work conducted at the museum. It was created after the Hungarian National Gallery was moved to the Buda Castle in 1975. “Our House Exhibitions” constitutes a key part of this material; it contains the professional documentation of all exhibitions arranged at the Hungarian National Gallery. In the process of expanding the collection, materials were also included not only for exhibitions that were held in its own building, but also at other venues in Budapest and other parts of Hungary, or abroad. The collection of various types of documents contains transcripts of opening speeches, lists of exhibited artworks, small printed materials and pamphlets, as well as photos of interiors. This material is in part supplemented by audio and video recordings (of openings and interviews with artists), official logs, and exhibition visitors’ books. At the time of KEMKI ADK’s establishment and its relocation to Szabolcs Street, a number of related documents also turned up and are presently being catalogued.

The exhibition documentation of “Our House” is currently stored in approximately 300 boxes. The material documents more than 1600 exhibitions, with the continuous addition of new shows, as well as documents surfacing retrospectively, yet to be archived. We are also in the process of collecting documentation relating to the former exhibitions of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest—although, for the time being, this part of our collection remains less coherent and systematised.

/Eszter Békefi/