Autumn Exhibition in Mashiko

This autumn the Mashiko Wagner Nandor Exhibition will be held from 15th of October to 15th of November. The topic is to show the Hungarian period of the sculptor. More or less parallel the Szekesfehervar Exhibition is going on and photos from that exhibition will be displayed as well. 

Hungarian Heritage Prize goes to Nándor Wagner

We have received a letter, which reads as follows:
 
"It is my pleasure to inform you that our Appraising Committee of Hungarian Heritage and Europe Society based on initiatives made by civilians has decided to grant

HUNGARIAN HERITAGE PRIZE
to
WAGNER NÁNDOR
sculptor
The Presentation Ceremony will be held at the Grand Assembly Hall of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences on Saturday 21st of September, 2013.

Dr. Hámori József
President"



The moments of the Ceremony

 Ms. Chiyo Wagner, Mr. Mihály Pál sculptor and Ms. Réka Gabriella Kiss interpreter.

 Just a little chat with Mr. Sándor Kiss before the opening ceremony.

 The ceiling of the Grand Assembly Hall

 Appreciation speech by Mr. Mihály Pál sculptor who knew and visited
Nándor Wagner and his atelier in the 1950-ies

 Appreciation speech was supported by slide show. (watch it here, in Hungarian)

 The Hungarian Heritage Prize was presented by Dr. Annamária Zelényi Vice President

 Round of applause.

 Certificate of Merit reads:
"For his Statuary Integrating Cultures
Nándor Wagner sculptor
was honoured by
Hungarian Heritage Prize"

For sake of Memory

 Moments of happiness.

 Congratulation!
Ms. Chiyo Wagner and Professor József Hámori

"Wagner statue-artifact" in Székesfehérvár

King Saint Stephan Museum cordially invites you and your family to the opening ceremony of

"Wagner statue-artifact" in Székesfehérvár

Place: Székesfehérvár, Fő utca 6., Rendház – Saloon
Time: 17:00 on Sunday 22nd of September, 2013

Program

• Greetings: H.E. Tadamichi YAMAMOTO Ambassador of Japan
• Opening address: Dr. András Cser-Palkovics Mayor of Székesfehérvár
• Opening Lecture: Mr. Tibor Wehner Art Historian
• Vocal music: Primavera Choir conducting Ms. Otttilia Horányi

The exhibition will remain open: from 10 am – 6pm from 22nd of September to 27th of October, 2013. Closed on every Monday and Tuesday.

Supporters: Academia Humana Foundation (Budapest) and Wagner Nándor Foundation (Mashiko, Japan)

Background

After the war Wagner found employment at the Hungarian Natural History Museum as a forensic artist and taxidermist. During this work he demonstrated both proficiency and an authentic touch in setting the objects in natural positions. The newly organized National Committee for Museums and Monuments selected him as sculptor/designer, and he was later promoted to the post of exhibitions director in 1948. Under his guidance and with his participation, museums were refurbished after war damage and exhibitions were organized and opened in the cities of Hódmezővásárhely, Keszthely and Székesfehérvár. The latter exhibition, the “Permanent Exhibition of History, Natural Sciences and Ethnography of Fejér County,” was his own original creation. Here he broke from the traditional method of displaying items, instead applying a revolutionary visual approach by displaying objects in a reconstructed environment. His goal and work was supported by a team of internationally renowned specialists carefully selected for this project. However, his endeavour to produce a new kind of exhibition was not appreciated by his superiors at the National Committee and he was sacked from his position on the very opening day, 31 December 1950. He would never arrange another museum exhibition. However, in both content and method of display, the exhibition was outstanding, praised by even some of his angry bosses and by foreign museums including the British Museum. The visitor counter at the end of the first year reached 70,174. It would stay open for 11 years.

Nándor Wagner became an independent sculptor for the rest of his life. Nevertheless, he maintained good relations with his former colleagues in museums. He produced several outstanding statues in his Budapest atelier at the Ybl Bazaar, among them “Corpus Hungaricum,” which was unveiled in Székesfehérvár only in 1999. He also gave art courses to talented students who were refused entry to universities before the 1956 Revolution. He was elected as a board member of the Revolutionary Committee of Artists during the uprising, and worded his adherence to it thus: “We have only one oath: to protect Hungarian culture with all our strength, without any condition!” He called upon art students to take up drawing tools, not guns, in order to record the moments of revolution on the streets for the future. After the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution by the Soviet army, he was compelled to leave Hungary.

Luckily, half-finished and finished works from Wagner’s atelier were saved by his museum friends and deposited in a storeroom of the King Saint Stephen Museum in Székesfehérvár, which unfortunately later suffered severe flooding. For a long period it was believed that his saved art works had been lost, but in 2011 almost 50 items were found.

This year Székesfehérvár commemorates Saint Stephen, the first Hungarian king. On this occasion the chamber exhibition at King Saint Stephen Museum has been organized to display a bit of history as it relates to Nándor Wagner. Two of his achievements will be presented for the general public after sixty years; namely, his 1950 permanent exhibition and his saved art works.

8th Nándor Wagner Prize

This year's competition theme was stamp design showing the Hungarian Saints. Our competition has joined the events marking the St. Stephen Memorial Year in 2013. Among the Hungarian Saints King Ladislaus was strongly connected to Nagyvárad (Oradea). He was buried first in the Abbey of Somogyvár and later his remains were transferred to Minstrel of Nagyvárad, which he had founded.The students of graphic art at the Partium Christian University had a very strong competition as 51 students made entries, a new record.

The exhibition

At the eight competition for Nándor Wagner Prize the winners are: 1. Noémi Fazakas, 2. Attila Bende, 3. Szabolcs Zöld. Praiseworthy entries were made by: József Badon, Hédi Fekete, Márta Kubola, Roxana Nagy, Attila Sütő and Gréta Tusa.

 Winner

2nd and 3rd Prize

                             

The prizes were presented to the winners by
Sándor Kiss.

Album of his Works in Hungary

In order to utilize the web photo album technologies a small starting collection of Nándor Wagner's statues has been uploaded to Flickr.

Tapló - Indelicate Art Events Diary 1996-2006

Our foundation has supported a book project of Tibor Wehner art historian. He is a writer, a real penman who has been writing his diary since long. Now he selected his diary entries from the period 1996-2006. This important 10 year period is covering the change of Hungarian fine arts; how is our art reflecting the rocky road to free market economy? Mr. Wehner selected a sarcastic title Tapló to his 720 pages book. Tapló is a modified word of Napló which is Diary. Tapló has several meanings: touchwood, tinder, German tinder. The author giving this title implies to his critical touch of contemporary Hungarian art and art related events, with his frank and straightforward remarks. It is a pity that Tapló is in only Hungarian, because it is a essential source and reference book both for public and researchers. The book will be presented to the press and public in the Petőfi Literature Museum, on the 30th of April.

 

The publisher of the book is Enciklopédia Kiadó.

Nándor Wagner Wikipedia entry in six languages

Just recently Swedish and Romanian language version has been added.

Nándor Wagner on Wikipedia