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Barnabás Bencsik About the new Museum Quarter

Although the Ludwig Museum is currently placed int he most modern museum buildings, it is most probable that it has to move in the future. Why?

It was rather surprising for many museum experts that in the latest concept of the new museum quarter by the Square of the 56’-ers contains the Ludwig Museum as well. According to the plan the quarter will give space and buildings for the hungarian National Gallery and Fine Art Museum, the Museum of Ethnography, the Museum of Architecture, the Museum of Photography the House of Music, and finally the Ludwig. Director of the Ludwig Barnabás Bencsik was asked about his views concerning this project.

László Baán, when announcing the Ludwig Museum is part of the  concept of the museum quarter said, that the moving became necessary because the 1989 contract for establishing the museum contains the obligation of uniting the contemporary collection of the National gallery with international collection of the Ludwig.

When Peter and Irene Ludwig donated a significant collection of international works-of-art to Hungary in 1989, their clear intention was to create the international context of Hungarian contemporary art – and they had some conditions to make sure their idea is realized.

How did Peter Ludwig imagine the museum in Budapest?

He gave 70 works to the Hungarian state which represent the global artistic developments since the 1960’s. In March, 1989 the representatives of the Ludwig Foundation, the Hungarian Cultural Ministry and the National Gallery signed the contract for establishing a new museum and agreed that the Ludwig family donates 70 pieces of work-of-art under 3 essential conditions.
1. The name Ludwig has to be part of the museum’s title. 2. A new, independent museum mujst be established, which was very important at the time, since there were no such institutions of contemporary art in Hungary. 3. The basis of the museum must be the 70 pieces donated by Ludwig, another collection of about 90 pieces and those part of the collections of the National Gallery, which are relevant with his material. (A significant part of the Gallery’s contemporary collection). Ludwig furthermore offered 500 thousand Deutschmarks for the creating of the exhibition halls of this new museum. This is how the story of the Ludwig started, but the third condition has never been fulfilled.

What is the reason?

The practical conditions have always been absent, store rooms were too small, and nobody wanted to change the whole situation during the past decades.

Although Peter Ludwig created the possibility of an institution in which Hungarian and international art can be displayed together, side by side.

Yes, it’s true. But now, in this situation Hungarian art as a whole (from the Gothic period to today) can be shown together with the pieces of international art, the connecting points and individualities both can be presented. If the Ludwig Museum and the art historian segment represented by its collection were left out, the whole concept would be incomplete.

Whose idea was this new concept?

It came from the Ludwig Foundation in Aachen. The Foundation accepted the fact that the third condition can’t be fulfilled for a time. They didn’t forget about it at all though, and gave signs of their intention several times. When it was announced that the Fine Art Museum and the national Gallery is to be united, the Foundation wrote a letter to the Ministry in 2011.

What is in the future? Among the art museums, the Ludwig has the most modern building, although even before moving to the current location it was clear that if the designers had had asked the museum experts, they would have asked for several alterations. What kind of experiences do you have in this field?

Both from the designing phase and from the time after the completion loads of experience was gained, which we intend to use in the future. For instance: even when in a big complex, the keeping of our identity and independence both architecturally and as a museum is essential.

Your mandate will soon expire. Will you apply again?

I intend to if the tender is announced.

Will you make a plan A and a plan B depending on whether the quarter will be completed or not?

We are at the beginning of a long process, that has to be carried out and a museum must be functioning simultaneously…

Photos: Ludwig Museum – Contemporary Art Museum