The 2024 Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year, organized by the Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center in Istanbul, the Hungarian Embassy in Ankara, the Consulate General in Istanbul and with the support of the Hungarian Government Commissioner, the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Innovation and many stakeholders, completed the first six months with over 80 programs in 15 cities across Türkiye.
Cultural year one completed its first half with a certificate delivery ceremony at the Operetta Theater following the restoration of Hungarian Turkologist and traveler Armin Vambery's grave at the Fiumei Road National Graveyard. At the event, speeches were made by Atilla Kiss B., General Manager of the Operetta Theater, Türkiye's Ambassador to Budapest Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğlu, Government Commissioner responsible for the preparation and implementation of the Cultural Year Peter Hoppal and director of the Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center in Istanbul Aron Sipos.
In his speech, Government Commissioner Peter Hoppal highlighted that culture can bring forth meeting points familiar to both sides and that both sides are trying to attract each other's best productions, institutions and companies to their countries. "Culture can convey emotions and background knowledge that cannot be communicated in other ways and reaches a depth that cannot be achieved with intellect, financial matters or economic investments," he emphasized.
Ambassador Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğlu, in her speech, noted that although reaching the goal of 100 events seemed challenging, over 70 cultural events were held in Hungary during the first half of the Cultural Year organized by the Turkish side. She mentioned that Türkiye organized numerous events, including concerts, exhibitions, conferences and culinary meetings in cities like Szeged, Veszprem, Tata, Pecs, Mohacs, Szigetvar, Tokaj, Lakitelek and Pannonhalma, as well as in Budapest. Karanis Ekşioğlu also noted that over 400 artists from Türkiye participated in these events and touched upon the programs planned for the rest of the year.
Director of the Hungarian Cultural Center Aron Sipos stated that the Hungary-Türkiye Friendship Agreement signed in 1923 is still in effect and has stood the test of time, providing a valuable platform for commemorative ceremonies of the joint Cultural Year. He also emphasized the institutional relationships between the two countries. "The connection of Hungary's leading and prestigious cultural institutions with their counterparts in Türkiye and turning this connection into a dynamic and professional dialogue is an invaluable opportunity for both countries," he said.
Sipos thanked the intense support of institutions and individuals in Hungary and Türkiye, which perfectly reflected the slogan of the Cultural Year, "Friendship and Cooperation." He also introduced the social media accounts created for the Cultural Year and mentioned the programs that would continue at the same pace for the rest of the year.
The 2024 Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year began with the gala concert of the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra in Istanbul and Ankara, coinciding with "January 21, Hungarian Cultural Day," the joint project of the Hungarian National Museum and the Hungarian Cultural Center, "Hungarians in the Construction of Türkiye" exhibition and the opening of the "Glassification.hu" exhibition showcasing Hungarian contemporary glass art. The traveling exhibition "Beyond Borders: A Journey into Hungarian Contemporary Art," featuring leading masters of Hungarian visual art, started with great interest in Tekirdağ, where Hungarians have historical ties, and throughout the year, it began to bring together art lovers with Hungary's leading contemporary artists in four more cities: Ankara, Nevşehir, Kütahya and Bodrum.
Parallel to this program in the visual arts field, the "Glassification.hu" exhibition representing Hungary's innovative applied glass art went on a tour, first in Ankara and then in Istanbul, attracting significant interest. The exhibition, prepared in collaboration with the Hungarian Glass Artists Association on the occasion of the U.N. International Year of Glass in 2022, was attended by Türkiye's leading glass art masters, experts and university students representing the new generation.
During the six months, an exciting event program awaited not only art and craft lovers but also music lovers. As part of the Piano Season dedicated to the world-renowned Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, a series of concerts spread throughout the year began hosting seven Hungarian piano virtuosos of global fame. In February, the Kerekes Band, a music group performing in the ethno-funk genre, traveled to the earthquake-affected region and held concerts in Malatya and Osmaniye.
Hungarian cinema was also one of the important topics of the year. In February, a selection of films paying homage to Hungarian cinema masters was shown at the legendary Beyoğlu Cinema in the heart of Istanbul. In March, Hungarian shorts were featured at the 30th IFSAC Short Film Festival. In April, 13 films from the milestones of Hungarian cinema were showcased at the 43rd Istanbul Film Festival under the title "Hungarian Rhapsodies." Throughout May, recent productions of contemporary Hungarian cinema were screened at Akbank Sanat.
To show that Hungarians who lived in Türkiye in previous centuries were not forgotten, a park in memory of landscape architect Imre Ormos, who worked in Ankara in the 1920s, was opened to the public. In Istanbul, the restoration of tomb monuments belonging to significant figures in Hungarian history at the Feriköy Protestant Cemetery was completed with a ceremony held on March 15. Wreath-laying ceremonies were held in Ankara, Kütahya and Istanbul to commemorate the 1848-49 Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence, performances by musicians and dancers from the Hungarian House of Traditions took place and the exhibition "A Hospitable State" describing the historical relationship between the two countries was opened.
In April, the exhibition "Designs by Hungarians in Türkiye" opened, showcasing the works of Hungarian architects and masters who contributed to the construction of the early infrastructure and the preservation of historical buildings in the Republic of Türkiye. The Hungarian House of Traditions and the Hungarian Cultural Center in Istanbul offered a rich activity program for children and adults at the International Orange Blossom Carnival in Adana. Adana residents had the opportunity to participate in craft workshops, purchase handmade products and taste traditional Hungarian cuisine.
In May, the "Hungarikons" exhibition, featuring about 200 pieces where writer and art collector Tamas Karpati artistically transformed the memories of famous Hungarians with the touch of visual artists, opened in Tekirdağ. For cinema lovers, the "Wide Angle – 120 Years of Hungarian Cinema" exhibition, shedding light on the more than 120-year history of Hungarian cinema art and film industry, opened at the Hungarian Cultural Center. The Yvette Bozsik Dance Company, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023, presented three different plays in Türkiye for the first time, with two consecutive performances at DasDas Istanbul and Atatürk Cultural Center.
Continuing in May and June, two conferences were held in Ankara, one on Turkish-Hungarian relations and the other on Ibrahim Müteferrika. In Istanbul, events included the Organ Night concert, a craft workshop at the Istanbul Design Museum for Hungarian Children's Day, participation of contemporary Hungarian artists in the Art Contact Istanbul art fair and a culinary and literary gathering dedicated to Agota Kristof, one of the most widely read Hungarian-origin authors in Türkiye.
Within the scope of the IKSV Music Festival, world-renowned Hungarian musicians, conductors, orchestras and choirs have performed sold-out concerts at six different concerts. The Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, with conductor Istvan Vardai and pianist Gülsin Onay, performed first at the Istanbul Music Festival and then at the 37th International Izmir Festival; one of today's prominent Hungarian pianists, Gabor Farkas, performed first at the Liszt Piano Season in Istanbul and then at the 22nd Mersin International Music Festival; the Budapest Festival Orchestra, selected as one of the world's top 10 orchestras, performed with legendary Hungarian conductor Ivan Fischer and pianist Francesco Piemontesi first at the Istanbul Music Festival and then at CSO Ada Ankara.
The Hungarian National Theater performed "Carousel" for two consecutive sold-out days at the 14th Antalya International Theater Festival, while the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble captivated attendees with their performance at the 22nd Alanya International Culture, Art and Tourism Festival.
In June, a Turkish-language book prepared in honor of Hungarian poet and writer Geza Szöcs was introduced, and the pop-up exhibition "Your Sports Experience" organized by the Free Create Foundation for Young Artists from Hungary was held at the Hungarian Cultural Center. At the 58th International Tekirdağ Cherry Festival, on June 14, designated as "Hungarian Day," concerts by Tilla Török and Urban Verbunk took place and a segment of the exhibitions was held within the Hungarian Cultural Center.
