This year’s event series held between the 7-20th of August are organized around “melting pot”as a common theme, with the motto “to give space to leave room”. But what does this mean exactly?

Due to its geographic location andhistoric role, for centuries Hungary has served as a host of various cultures and nations, serving as a melting pot. This has given rise to a number of issues over the past centuries, but at the same time, has enriched our country’s culture invaluably. Living in a “melting pot” has defined all areas of life, with an influence in respect to our economic, sociological, political, as well as religious and cultural lives.

Identity, and what it entails becomes a fundamental question: in order to prevail in the new social sphere, must we, and if so, to what extent,must wegive up our identity. From the variety of different answers to this question (political, economic, cultural, etc.) and the interactions and merge of cultures, customs and traditions, gave birth to a new, exciting and valuable quality. Values specifically applicable and only existing in this region were established as a result of the particular cultures that a wide variety of people brought along, creating an incredibly unique “melting pot” mixture.

These processes - mergers, interactions - and the issues and difficulties they raise, or the novelties born out of their fusion are on the agenda and in operation even today, more so indeed! In our world of intensified globalization and localization processes, it becomes a more current and pressing issueto analyze and understandits nature and effects.

This year's Art Moments festival programs reflect on these questions, calling for the help of art, as being the first and most sensitive responders to the phenomena taking place in the world today - be it fine arts, design, music, dance, theatre or literature.

The new location choice was highly inspired by the festival's efforts to remove arts from its familiar medium and place it in a more casual, more comfortable and more accessible environment. Organized in the summer season, outdoors was an obvious choice, hence the Városliget’s (City Park) Boating Lake. This year’s Art Moments works of art can be seen on a 800 square meters pier built on the lake.

On display until 20 August

Aource: artmoments.hu