The exhibits are complemented by other exquisite pieces from the Berlin Kunstgewerbemuseum as well as by works from our own collection. In 16 chapter, the exhibition tells the history of the foundation of the predecessor of the Victoria & Albert Museum in the wake of the Great Exhibition of 1851, and reconstruct the focus of the original core collections of the V&A.

When it was founded in 1857, the V&A was the prototype of a new kind of museums, the museum of applied arts. It wanted to celebrate the best works of art and design, reach the widest audience possible, and wished to educate people and form their taste.

The V&A was an example for the founders of the Iparművészeti Múzeum 150 years ago and so today it is particularly appropriate that this exhibition is hosted here today. Like many similar European institutions, the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts was founded in 1872 to improve the quality of industrial products and to educate the manufacturers and the public with the help of exhibiting beautiful objects of high standards.

The strong relationship of the two insitutions was reflected in the exemplary works bought directly from British designers, and the pieces of the furnishing purchased from British manufacturers.

An appendix to the exhibition illustrates that just as the Victoria and Albert Museum offered the model for the establishment of decorative arts museums in Europe, it still provides inspiration today for such institutions. The current expansion and renewal of the V&A – the largest in a century – is setting the example for the upcoming reconstruction of the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest as well. This reconstruction will enable to Museum to finally display its collections, which have grown enormously in size.

The exhibition will be shown in Budapest from 15 June to 16 September 2012. It is accompanied by a new catalogue in Hungarian, which is based on the previously published English and German language versions.

The exhibition is held under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

The exhibition was realized in collaboration with the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bonn and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Curators: Julius Bryant, Marie-Louise von Plessen

Practical information:

Opening times of the exhibition: June 15 – September 16, 2012.
Tue-Sun, 10 AM – 6 PM. Closed on Mondays.

Special events
Long night of the museums: June 16, 2012 – exhibition and the museum is open until 2 AM, special events and programme title Great & Little Britain

Ticket prices:
Individual: 2500 HUF
Reduced: 1250 HUF

A combined ticket with the other exhibition of the museum (Art deco and Modernism) is also available.

Catalogue: 6900 HUF

Information in Hungarian is available on the website of the Museum of Applied Arts: imm.hu

More information in English and German is available on the website of KAH Bonn, the first venue of the exhibition

Information on the Museum of Applied Arts

The national museum of Hungary dedicated to decorative arts and design. The palace that houses the Museum of Applied Arts was built in 1896, and is one of the most beautiful public buildings of the capital. The core of the collection is made up by the masterpieces of European applied arts from the Middle Ages till today.

In addition to exhibiting its own works of art, the museum organizes national and international exhibitions which present pieces of historic times and contemporary applied arts and design.

Venue: Iparművészeti Múzeum / Museum of Applied Arts
Adress: 1091 Budapest, Üllői út 33-37