Although the spring sunshine invites us outdoors, it’s also worth heading to museums and exhibition spaces in April, where exciting exhibitions offer unique visual experiences. The selection includes contemporary art, historical documents from the World War, photographs of Debrecen buildings and Munkácsy classics.
9 + 1 exhibitions to see in spring
Deep Well of the Past – Jubilee Exhibition of Erzsébet Palotai and István Subicz
Palotai and Subicz’s life plan was outlined around 1978, when they finally found passion, work, dedication, everything that is important in the world in art, thanks to each other. They pursued painting with passion and unrelenting discipline. The castaway’s escape into private peace. The world left alone and wide open and self-realization gave them their subject matter.
Thomas Mann’s words were chosen as the title of the exhibition. “Deep is the search for the past. Shall we not rather say bottomless?” All life, all creative life, longs for a mountain top, for a new creation, but one fraught with struggles, however seemingly simple.
The exhibition is open free of charge until 28 April 2025 in the Bényi Gallery of the Kölcsey Centre.
Hungarian prisoners of war in the Great War
Exhibition of the Institute of Hungarian Unity in cooperation with the Déri Museum
There are few Hungarian families that have not been affected by the prisoner of war. Hundreds of thousands of fathers, sons, brothers and sisters disappeared into the pits of the camps – from Siberia to Sardinia. The prisoner of the Great War is still a subject of academic research and memory culture in Hungary today. The MCC’s Institute for Hungarian Cohesion aims to repay this debt by using state-of-the-art multimedia tools and presenting its unique collection.
The curators of the exhibition, Dr. Gábor Margittai, Director of the Institute, and Anita Major, Deputy Director, have been mapping this white spot of Hungarian history for more than a decade. The Déri Museum is also contributing its own documents and objects to the exhibition.
The exhibition will be open from 5 April to the end of June 2025 in the Zoltai Hall of the Déri Museum.
Umbilical cord – Exhibition of Zsuzsa Szász artist
Zsuzsa Szász is a puppet and costume maker, which are the activities that are also evident in her art. “The invitation to the puppet theatre was really inspiring, because here I always get to immerse myself in a wonderful world. I have been preparing for this exhibition since September, which is actually a big installation. I quickly came up with the title, in which our whole life is involved: our ancestors, the mystery of life, the emergence of a new life, the mother-child relationship, the way old objects are represented, but also the ability to let things go. When I thought about this and looked through my pictures, I realized that I have been working on this for twenty years.”
The exhibition is an imaginary journey through time, an attempt to observe and understand the world; to contrast earthly and celestial planes, darkness and light, our inner qualities and characters, good and bad. An attempt to discover and change our imperfections and goodness through painting and textile art and the recycling of old objects and fragments.
The exhibition is open free of charge from 5 April to 18 May 2025 in the exhibition space of the Vojtina Puppet Theatre on Kálvin Square.
Commemorative exhibition on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of architect József Borsos
From March to December, the “Borsos 150” series of city programs commemorates the architect’s exceptionally rich oeuvre and architectural legacy. The DEMKI Borsos-Villa Community House is delighted to join the colorful series of events marking the anniversary, as the building was designed and built by József Borsos, who lived for many years with his family in the “Vénkert cottage”, as he called his home. On this occasion, a commemorative exhibition is being held in the Borsos villa, the rich material of which is the work of architect Zoltán Rácz, author of the book József Borsos, who presents the architect’s extraordinary life’s work in a magnificent and comprehensive volume.
The exhibition will be on display until 8 May 2025 at the DEMKI Borsos-villa Community House.
Roads – figures of the scientific life on the street name plates of Debrecen
The exhibition is about the scientific and artistic heritage of the city: it presents the life’s work of notable persons with a Debrecen connection, after whom a street is named. A series of fifteen panels presenting the work of some 15 scientists and artists, including a map showing the location of the streets named after them.
The exhibition is on display at the New Town Hall until 9 May 2025.
Pathfinders, Wayfinders, Guides – Exhibition of works by Gábor Kustár and his students
2025 in the Reformed Church The Year of Youth Ministry. The young people exhibited here are connected by the fact that at one point in their lives they had the opportunity to learn from the same teacher. For all of them, creation remained important, but not all became professional artists. Yet the creative process became a means of self-expression and fulfilment in their lives. This exhibition is a selection of their work. Alongside primary school assignments, works from secondary schools and art university submissions form part of the material on display. The fruits of years of young artists are displayed here in the church hall, without claiming to be exhaustive.
The exhibition will be open from 13 April to 10 May 2025 in the Calvin Gallery of the Reformed Great Church of Debrecen.
Debrecen-Pairidaeza I Life pictures of the Cívis I Vigh Levente
The photo exhibition opening on 17 April at MODEM Project Space gives a sensual insight into the interiors and everyday life of the typical residential buildings, the cívis houses, surrounded by high walls and surrounded by secrets, which still dominate the cityscape of Debrecen.
Based on photographic and archival research, the systematic exploration of the interiors of the cívis houses, which are considered essentially undocumented, has only begun in recent years: the photographs of Levente Vigh shown in this exhibition were taken during site visits for the continuation of a project started by Attila Harangi and Viktor Löki in 2019, which again aimed to create an album that presents the history of the cívis houses and their inhabitants primarily in the context of architecture and urban history.
The exhibition will be on view at MODEM Project Space from 17 April to 7 June 2025.
Untold Stories – Fine Art Collections of Rural Museums (1989-2024)
The MODEM Centre for Modern and Contemporary Art’s exhibition Untold Stories aims to show, through the fine art collections of rural museums, the values that were added to the collections of institutions outside Budapest in the period 1989-2024. Opening in the 2nd floor exhibition space of MODEM, the selection attempts to provide a picture for professionals and the general public of how the collecting practices of rural museums have evolved in the decades following the fall of communism.
The exhibition will be on view from 26 April to 24 August 2025 in MODEM’s 2nd floor exhibition space.
Gergő Szabó’s photo exhibition “Visions of Debrecen”
On the occasion of Debrecen City Day, the first exhibition of amateur photographer Gergő Szabó was opened. The exhibition, entitled “Visions of Debrecen”, brings together some of the best photos he has taken of the city over the years. “Debrecen has given me a lot, so I think it is important that I give something back through my photos. The photos on display include both those that show the city’s unique atmosphere and architectural heritage, as well as giving a glimpse of rarely seen moments.”
Gergő Szabó’s photographs have won several professional awards in national and regional competitions. His image “The Last Place” won 1st place in its category at the Birdo – Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 competition, while he was awarded a special prize at the Nature Photographer of the Year 2023 competition. His image of the Reformed Great Church was published in the National Geographic online magazine in Hungary, and his image of a dancer was the category winner. All the winning photos are related to Debrecen. They can also be seen in the exhibition.
The exhibition is open until 29 April 2025 in the gallery of the DEMKI Youth House.
Munkácsy in Hajdúszoboszló
On the occasion of the 180th anniversary of the birth and 125th anniversary of the death of the world-famous Hungarian painter Mihály Munkácsy, his works will be presented in Hajdúszoboszló.
In 2025, which is a centenary year in the life of Hajdúszoboszló, not only will the well-known resort commemorate the work of Ferenc Vajna Pávai, but the name of another renowned Hungarian artist will also be intertwined with that of Hajdúszoboszló. In 2025, the 180th anniversary of the birth and 125th anniversary of the death of the world-famous painter Mihály Munkácsy will be celebrated, and his works will be exhibited in the spa town from 21 March 2025. Nearly 80 original Munkácsy works will be on display, including the famous “The Digging Butler”, as well as portraits, landscapes, salon paintings and, last but not least, archival photographs, documents and cultural objects related to the artist’s life.
The exhibition is on display until 28 September 2025 at the Kovács Máté Cultural Centre and Library in Hajdúszoboszló.
