20th Painting Biennale opened at Reök Palace

The 20th Painting Biennale opened at the Reök Palace in Szeged on Saturday, May 25, 2024. The creators of five works, selected by the professional jury, were also awarded at the event.

The opening of the 20th Painting Biennale started with a welcome speech by László Barnák, director general of the National Theater of Szeged, the operator of the REÖK all-arts center. Out of the 650 submitted works, as a result of a strict selection, about 130 were exhibited, and the works that can be viewed were made by 115 painters – among them Kossuth and Munkácsy Mihály prize winners – who represent the best of contemporary fine art, the director explained.

The exhibition was opened by art historian Dr. Róbert Nátyi, senior curator of the REÖK all-arts center and dean of the Bartók Béla Faculty of Arts at the University of Szeged, who briefly introduced the guests to the history of the Biennale over the past forty years.

After the welcome and opening speeches, five separate professional awards were awarded based on the decision of a jury consisting of art historian Dr. Róbert Nátyi, painter and graphic artist Csaba Fürjesi, and painter László András Henn.

The works selected for the 20th Painting Biennale fill all of REÖK's exhibition spaces and installable surfaces, welcoming visitors with exciting visual experiences in every corner. The exhibition's first floor features a colorful selection of figurative paintings, while the second floor showcases an abstract, geometric pictorial world.

The exhibition will be on display until June 30, 2024.

Photos: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify