The Zsolnay Cultural Quarter in Pécs is set to mark World Art Nouveau Day on June 6 with a series of events placing eozin ceramics, the era’s influential women, turn-of-the-century fashion, creative workshops and the Zsolnay family firmly in the spotlight, the site’s operator, Zsolnay Heritage Management Nonprofit Ltd., announced.
Zsolnay Cultural Quarter welcomes the families
The organisers noted that World Art Nouveau Day is officially observed on June 10, in connection with the anniversaries of the deaths of architects Antoni Gaudí and Ödön Lechner, both of whom died a century ago. This year, they added, the anniversary will be honoured in the Zsolnay factory’s former grounds—now a cultural quarter—with an especially rich programme of events in the days leading up to it.
Among the highlights are exclusive, costumed guided tours led by docents in period dress. Visitors will be able to explore the quarter’s architectural treasures as the golden age of the Zsolnay manufactory is brought vividly back to life.
The tour also promises insight into the secrets of the world-renowned eozin technique, alongside the intellectual legacy of figures such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, József Rippl-Rónai and Endre Ady. A ticket for the walk also grants entry to the “Golden Age of Zsolnay – Gyugyi Collection” exhibition.
This year’s international theme, “Women of Art Nouveau”, turns the spotlight on the role of women in shaping the movement. In keeping with this focus, visitors can explore period fashion, ideals of beauty and the creative milieu of the age through archival screenings and authentic garments available to try on.
Workshops in the afternoon
In the afternoon, families and aspiring makers will be invited to take part in two workshops. In the Apostolos Hall, under the guidance of Mónika Vágyi, participants can learn the ancient craft of macramé and create Art Nouveau-inspired jewellery and accessories. Meanwhile, in the Ceramics Hall, porcelain painter Julianna Dézsi will lead a session in which visitors design unique postcards based on Art Nouveau tile motifs, while gaining insight into the techniques of ceramic decoration and the cultural-historical significance of Pécs’s Zsolnay heritage.
For those drawn to more enigmatic themes, Tamás P. Horváth will lead a lecture and guided walk entitled “The Zsolnays and Freemasonry”. The programme promises to shed light on the “secrets” of the Hungarian Symbolic Grand Lodge and the Grand Orient, while addressing longstanding questions over whether Vilmos and Miklós Zsolnay were indeed Freemasons, and what hidden symbols may be encoded in the Zsolnay statue and the walls of the Zsolnay Mausoleum.
Highlights will include insights into the eosin technique and the legacies of figures such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Jozsef Rippl-Ronai and Endre Ady.
Workshops for families and creative visitors will include sessions on macrame jewellery-making and painting Art Nouveau-style porcelain postcards. Further details of the June 6 programme are available on their website.
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