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One Topic … Two Exhibitions!

“Let’s meet under the clock!!!”

For more than 40 years this was the sentence all the residents of Budapest knew exactly by heart where the place is ,

Moscow Square …  2011 back to its original name Széll Kálmán tér!

1929-1951 named Szell Kalman Square

1951-2011  named Moscow Square

Back in 2011,  renamed Széll Kálmán Square.

So this square has 84 years of history and if these pathways could talk, I would have to write novels-over-novels …what a talk it would be!

January, 8. 2013 –  6 p.m. media and press representatives were call to the „Erzsébet tér” Elisabeth  Square at the Budapest’s Design Terminal.  The Elisabeth Square, for the elder folks may be more known as the Engels Square, but after the regime change, it was renamed to Elisabeth Square. In the past at this square was the central bus termini en-route to the countryside. To-day the Design Terminal, after its reconstruction, open its doors for all kind of exhibitions. At the opening there were the main city managers who dealt with the renewal  project of the Széll Kálmán tér.

The winner of the tender was  announced, as the  Építész Stúdió  Kft. “Architect Studio Ltd.” and Léptek-terv Kft. “Scale-Plan Ltd.” and Főmterv Engineering Design Ltd. who  jointly prepared the detailed implementation plans and approval. The construction works  are hopefully to  start during the springtime  of 2014.

“Last year in December, the Budapest Transport Center, the “BKK”, published a tender for spatial reconstruction” said by Dávid Vitézy, CEO Budapest’s Transport Center  who also added: ” Basically, the Széll Kálmán Square is the structure of  problems, on the narrow pedestrian corridors are a lot of dead spaces in the loop line and of course unnecessary.” Indicated the need of finding the area, the place for the bus termini, also that the current terminal can increase the proportion of green areas. He added that the importance of placing  several commercial catering  to function will  support many on their way to work to pick a sandwich or some dairy food.

The triangular space  is accessible from all directions and since it lies en route for everyone rolling by, ensuring the passengers,  or just as well for the road bikers for a much better comfort concept  to be re-built at one of the most busiest cross-junction at the Széll Kálmán Square in Budapest.
The Municipality of Budapest and the Budapest Transport Center “BKK” plan was step-by-step  was updated. The works submitted in the tender competition can be seen by the general public and the professions within the walls of the Budapest’s Design Terminal from January, 8. until January, 20. 2013.  Inside the exhibition hall a questionnaire is placed for visitors so that they could give their views, ideas on what kind of spaces should be implemented on the sidewalks.
Balázs Szeneczey, Deputy Mayor at Urban Development said that the tender’s gross cost of 22 million HUF was available. He described with detailed planning of public transport, walking and cycling aspects are taken into account, new elevators, and escalator stairways are needed. The interior in all directions hidden housing LED-lit lanes would be leading to-from-around the pedestrians.

The whole project cost  4.2 billion HUF which is connected  for reconstruction, in which the central budget, the interweaving of the “Buda Tram Project” and by the use from the source from the European Union.

Keeping  that in mind, the opening of the exhibition  has a wide-spread of photograph, entitled: “A Square in Budapest”, taken by Simon Móricz. All the squares,  like anywhere in the world have a geographic number, this Budapest’s Public Square  stands the number of  “7706” . Its name is now Széll Kálmán Square, but for many it still rings the bell as the Moszkva tér, “Moscow Square”! Simon Móricz says, “In the mid 90’s I met the Moscow Square,  and since then I feel like nothing has changed here in time. The Square remained an unfriendly, cold, wind-blown transport hub. The square is  at one of  Buda’s’ central area, the gate of the city in the city, however, in narrower scope the Moscow Square is mainly in use for two purpose, one for transportation or connection to other trams, buses and the other reason as a meeting point, to meet with friends, family, hubby. Every day hundreds of thousands of people break their way through the crowd. During the morning hours from drowsiness and in the afternoon’s  in the mood of trouble dazed.”

Well what’s true is true, the square’s body has an ugly birthmark of the city and it should be, and hopefully by the year 2015 reborn with more clear,  environmentally friendly and  philanthropic design. Just  to add one more note to the Moscow Square. In 1955, at the Moscow Square terminus the tram number 56 started its route. In 1999, the termination of the number 56, changed to the tram’s number 61. For many decades at the Moscow Square the number 56  tram abraded the 1956’s revolution, the old wounds, disgrace from the past history of  Hungary.

Update and snaps Aggie Reiter

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Co-lecture of the Culture Crew and the  Átrium-Film-Theater.

The  VAKNYUGAT  … the tiny dynamite which can exploded anytime … comes from  “The Lonesome West”  by the author Martin McDonagh and in Budapest the play is directed by Péter Gothár. The comedy and the agony comes from the same source, a fusion of hilarity and cruelty of a play of darkness. This play, I assume is acute at many societies and here at the Atrium-Film-Theater we are all social observers of  a great core story about family relationships and the troubles that often go on in families. Those troubles are exaggerated for comedic effect, but when you strip away that exaggeration there is a really true relationship that we can all relate to and in relating to it we can laugh-and-laugh at it.

The Vaknyugat is a four actors awesome play. You get hot ands cold at then same time with the features of arguing brothers Coleman and Valene, whose father has just died in a so-called shotgun accident. Valene agreed to provide a false alibi for Coleman, stating that their father’s death was accidental. In exchange, he demanded Coleman’s share of the inheritance money. Neither of the brothers show any grief or remorse at their father’s death. Valene’s only interest is in his religious ornaments,and drinking potatoe pálinka. While Coleman’s only mission is to daily attend at  funerals to eat and to collect free sausage rolls.  Father Welsh, the alcoholic parish priest, attempts to fix their relationship, but his advice goes unheard. It is revealed later in the play that Coleman had shot his father because he insulted his  new haircut.

The majesty of the Church is now reduced to the ineffectual, alcoholic priest, Father Welsh, played by Róbert Alföldi, who had a remark that said it all … „It seems God has no jurisdiction in this town. None at all.” Even living on alcohol he sees the Catholicism in Ireland is collapsing. He  sees himself as a failure, measured by the murders around him … the local policeman kills himself. Coleman kills his father.  The lack of moral perspective of the two brothers Valene, play by István Ficza and Coleman, played by Tamás Rétfalvi  sometimes funny but overall tragedies of their lives. Main fights are about who’s is what … who has any hidden potato pálinka in the house and oh, those potato chips goes as a battle of  life and death. Struggling about the newly bought stove…“the stove is mine, don’t you dare to touch it”  Fighting the whole day on everything and anything, but overall both are complete dependence on each other. Outside the brothers world there is also other kind of loneliness shown by the Kiscsilány “Girleen” played by Piroska Mészáros who is mocking and teasing, yet fond of Father Welsh, but in return he tells her his mind is set on saving the souls of Valene and Coleman. He is so depressed because of the hatred between the brothers and with a low self-esteem writes a letter begging the brothers to get along, asserting that he will stake his soul on it. Father Welsh, after writing this letter meets Kicsilány and gives the letter to pass it on to the brothers,  then after he goes to proceed to drown himself in the lake.  When Coleman and Valene read his letter they decide to reconcile themselves by confessions, as to admit the wrongs that they had secretly done to each other in the past and to forgive each other’s  sins. They both try to top their past acts and the floor get rough. They agree that fighting is actually good for them and they hope and believe that Father Welsh’s soul will be just fine.

Not only the power of the gunpowder hits the two acts. The actors create a world which in a  real world, so miserable, unbearable and as an observer your sweeten away by the superb play of the four actors.

At the moment the play is only in Hungarian language. Been told, plans are out to have it subtitled in English. Until then, surely recommend to go and see this McDonagh’s play at Budapest’s  “Átrium Film-Theater”. Why? … I believe the very talented and engaging cast of Hungarian actors performance will be memorable. and as for  the foreigners who are working, temporary staying in Hungary and have had already read the The Lonesome West play by McDonagh’s will be easily followed by the superb actors and also may be a good language practise.

 The play gives you something to think about. It’s funny at times because of how true it is.

Somehow this play rang the bell to the prehistoric times of two brothers: Cain and Abel which was so tragic. At the same time with all the funniest situations was a reminder of the 20th century’s two famous enemy figures called Tom and Jerry.  It all depends what mood we are in, what angle we look at when we watch these awesome actors of the Vaknyugat!

This update is upon the presentation play of December, 30, 2012 at the Átrium-Fim-Theater.

Was filled with joy to hear that my proposal has been heard and later implemented having English subtitle screened above the stage. Even more happy that foreigners living in Hungary now on can be familiar with the outstanding actors performance.

Address: District II. 55, Margit Blvd. Budapest

Tickets are available on the spot at the Átrium – Film – Szinház  

Local phone call: 317 9338  or 318 9844

E-mail: atriumfilmszinhaz.jegy.hu

Also at the Broadway ticket box office

Local phone call: 340 4040 or 780 0780

By order through e-mail: www.jegyplaza.hu

Updated and snaps  by Aggie Reiter