Excerpt from the “Song of the Miraculous Hind” (2002) Hungarian animated film directed by Marcell Jankovics.
Two Hungarian-related murals were painted in Türkiye in the framework of the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year. In Istanbul, the miraculous hind figure (mythical animal in Hungarian folk traditions) of Marcell Jankovics, Hungarian graphic artist and film director, was painted on the wall of a cultural center, while in Kocaeli, a bridge pillar is now decorated with world-famous Hungarian inventions.
The Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year was launched in Hungary and Turkey to mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. It offers a full year of diverse cultural programs and projects in several cities in both countries.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Innovation,
the organizers of the cultural season wanted to pay tribute to 110 years of Hungarian animation and the work of Marcell Jankovics with the painting titled “Star Trail” on the wall of a cultural center in Istanbul.
Istanbul. Photo: Hungary Today
Gábor Egyed, the designer of the mural, evoked the emblematic world of Marcell Jankovics. The legend of the miraculous hind appears in both Hungarian and Turkish mythology. The mural is best seen from one of the busiest bridges in Istanbul, connecting Asia with Europe, symbolizing the link between the two continents.
Another work of the Colourful City Group (Színes Város) in Türkiye is located on a bridge pillar in Kocaeli, and was designed by Enikő Váczy. The mural features world-famous Hungarian inventions such as the light bulb, the ballpoint pen, the matchstick, vitamin C, the telephone exchange, and the Ford Model T.
The choice of the theme of the mural was a conscious one, as it anticipates the 2025 Hungarian-Turkish Year of Innovation, which starts in January.
Ford Model T, designed by Hungarian engineer Joseph Galamb (József Galamb). Photo: Wikipedia
The Colourful City movement is based on Victor Vasarely’s “Colourful City” manifesto and book, which calls for art to take to the streets and public spaces, and not only to be found in galleries. The civic project has grown into a movement from the very beginning, as paintings in public spaces were unknown in legal form in Hungary before the founding of the Colourful City in 2009.
Via MTI, Featured image: Wikipedia