Cultural programs

The Hungarian cultural content for World Expo 2010 Shanghai has three pillars. The first is the pavilion itself, which is a spectacular experience, an artwork of interior decoration and the symbol of science.

Due to its unique nature, the pavilion is a closed artwork, a complete system, and has a function other than organizing cultural events in it. Therefore one part of the Hungarian cultural programs will be performed in other establishments of the Expo site, while other events will take place in the downtown of Shanghai. We believe, this way we can create a strong Hungarian presence attracting several visitors.

Together with 20 other members of the European Union, Hungary will take part in the European Parade on the 9th of May. The participating countries will present their national specialties in the framework of a large-scale outing. Hungary will be represented by Pécs, the European Capital of Culture in 2010: the Mecsek folkdance group will process accompanied by their own orchestra, along with the so-called Busó-s of Mohács (men in scary masks) whose yearly festival is part of the World Heritage.

Another very important date is the 22nd of August, the Hungarian National Day at the World Expo 2010. There will be all day long open-air concerts at Europe Square where folk music orchestras will perform. These music groups are formed of young students of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, and will present the wide variety of Hungarian Folk Music traditions, playing music from different parts of Hungary and Transylvania.

The evening gala under the name “The City and the Music” will take place in the Auditorium of the Expo Center. Although the festive program itself is based upon Hungarian music, the event will be different from a traditional musical performance. The gala will cover the whole spectrum of Hungarian musical literature from folk music to the 20th century’s Hungarian compositions. The show – among others - will include the works of Ferenc Liszt, Zoltán Kodály, Béla Bartók, György Ligeti, György Kurtág and Péter Eötvös. Today’s most famous artists are going to perform extraordinary productions specially composed to this very event. We can find Erika Miklósa opera singer, Bea Palya folk and world music singer, the Modern Art Orchestra, Szeged Contemporary Ballet and Experidance among the artists as well.

Our aim is to emphasize Hungarian presence during the World Expo in the city of Shanghai as well, therefore in late August (from 23 August – 5 September) we organize an event called “Art Forum Hungary” in the downtown of Shanghai, in MoCA – Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art. Programs include animated film screenings, exhibitions devoted to the photography of Robert Capa and other famous contemporary photographers, fashion exhibition presenting the collection of Katti Zoób, an interactive Music Dome – displaying Hungarian Contemporary Music, an exhibition with different 1m high Gömböc’s painted by young artists, and other cultural events, concerts and discussions.

On the 19th of September young talented Hungarian musicians, aged 10-14, will team up to form a special brass band and entertain the visitors of the Expo with an open air musical performance on Europe Square. This is for the occasion of the International Children’s Day. This national program is linked to another important Hungarian cultural project: the young musicians will come from the city of Pécs, which is the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2010.