Baldemor in Budapest
July 23, 2001 | 12:00am
The Philippine Embassy in Budapest, headed by Amb. Estrella A. Berenguel, recently organized art exhibits in Budapest, Warsaw, and Bratislava, featuring the artworks of celebrated and internationally known Filipino artist Manuel D. Baldemor, to highlight the Philippine Independence Day celebrations in Hungary, Poland, and the Slovak Republic.
Baldemor held three successful one-man exhibits in the three cities, all titled The Art of Manuel D. Baldemor, a first for any Filipino artist to exhibit his works in these central European capitals. The art pieces, numbering 80 paintings altogether, were in mixed media. He also exhibited 24 pieces of folk paintings in watercolor, as well as drawings and sketches of his impressions of the cities of Budapest, Warsaw, and Krakow, the birthplace of Pope John Paul II. The artist had visited these cities a few years ago.
The first leg of the exhibit tour was in Bratislava, Slovakia, held at the Dom Culture (Slovak National Gallery), located at the center of Slovakia’s quaint capital. Amb. Berenguel hosted a reception to open the exhibit last May 28. The event was also held to celebrate the 103rd anniversary of Philippine Independence.
Members of the diplomatic corps in Brastislava and various officials of the Slovak government graced the affair. The exhibit in Bratislava was arranged with the assistance of the Slovak Ministry of Culture. Baldemor vowed to return to the city to present his interpretations of the city, which is known for its fine crystals and porcelain, as well as being as the former coronation city for the emperors of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The second leg of the tour brought Baldemor’s works to Warsaw, Poland, where the exhibit was held in conjunction with the Philippine Independence Day celebration in the city. The event, held at the Mercure Fryderyk Chopin Hotel last June 3, was hosted by the Filipino community in Poland. The entire Filipino community in Poland, numbering to about 80, attended the event. Amb. Berenguel, who is also accredited as non-resident Philippine Ambassador to Poland, attended the event as guest of honor together with Baldemor.
The third and final leg of Baldemor’s central European swing awed the people of Budapest, Hungary’s grand and majestic capital, also known as Queen of the Danube. The exhibit, was held from June 7 to 15 at the Nagyhazi Galeria, the biggest and most popular gallery in Budapest. The exhibit was opened by Hungary’s Supreme Court Chief president Justice Pal Solt and his wife former Hungarian National Gallery director Zsuzsanna Lovag. The couple special guests Chief Justice Hilario P. Davide, Jr. last January, during the height of EDSA II Revolution.
At the opening ceremonies, Chief Justice Solt reiterated the growing affinity between the Philippines and his people. He stressed that, while the Philippines is at a geographical disadvantage with central Europe, art proves to be a major link in bridging their people together.
The opening ceremony was also a major diplomatic event in Hungary, where many of the diplomatic corps in Hungary, high ranking Hungarian government officials, the media and the business community attended the affair. A reception, hosted by Amb. Berenguel, followed exhibit opening.
The art exhibits in the three central European countries of Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic served as an introduction of Filipino art to the people in the region.
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