The opening of the Inside Out / Hudec Code exhibition in Shanghai was a great success on September 30. The ceremonial event featured speeches by Szilárd Bolla, Consul General of Hungary, János Róbert Fülöp, Hungary's Consul for Education and Culture, Yang Yan representing the Shanghai International Cultural Association, Virág Csejdy, head of the Hudec Cultural Foundation and the exhibition's curator, as well as Xu Ming, a city historian and the exhibition's Chinese curator. The event was organized and moderated by the other Chinese curator of the exhibition, Hu Yihan. A video message from Alvin Hudec, one of Hudec’s grandchildren in Canada, also greeted the exhibition, thanks to whose help László Hudec's 16mm film footage was showcased.

The opening was attended by long-time experts and supporters of the Hudec theme, including Professor Hua Xiahong, journalist Michelle Qiao, Judit Nagy, president of the Hungarian-Chinese Friendship Society, Tina Kanagaratnam, head of Historic Shanghai, as well as representatives of Chinese and Hungarian media.

During the opening, Virág Csejdy, László Hudec's great-grandniece and caretaker of the family archive in Budapest, led a tour through the archival documents and photographs, sharing the stories behind them, including the content of Hudec's letters written in Hungarian and his handmade postcards.

The exhibition aims to showcase Hudec’s architectural legacy, his personality, and the city during the era of modernism. Through the use of striking contemporary design elements, the Chinese curators seek to promote the city’s multicultural values and history to a broader audience. Visitors can learn about László Hudec's family background, architectural training, adventurous life, and cultural openness through archival exhibits and documents. Particularly significant are the two portfolio album replicas in which Hudec's personally selected buildings come to life through period photographs.

The exhibition runs until January 8, 2025, with numerous related programs organized by Chinese partners. Information about these events can be found on the WeChat under the Chinese title Hudec Code (邬达克密码).

Exhibition crew
Concept: Virág Csejdy
Production management: Yihan Hu
Exhibition Text: Ming Xu
Archive Material Expert: Virág Csejdy

Graphic design: Chi Guan Creative          

概念设计：Virág Csejdy
执行管理：胡艺瀚
文案撰写：徐明
文献整理：Virág Csejdy
展陈设计：尺观创意

The 100-day long exhibition opens on the 1st of october and represents a new opportunity to promote the Budapest archive in China. A fitting venue for this is the Christian Literature Society Building, designed by Hudec and completed in 1932, which also housed his architectural office for nearly 20 years. The building complex is notable for being a so-called "pendant" building, featuring two façades with distinct appearances and functions facing opposite directions. The Christian Literature Society Building, facing west, is now known in Chinese as Guang Xue Building, while the China Baptist Publication Society is situated to the east. Based on documents of the family archives, we know that László Hudec's younger brother, Géza, who worked in his brother's office until his tragic death in 1933, also contributed to the design of the two buildings. The complex began its renovation and re-functioning in 2010. Today, it operates fully modernized as one of ROCKBUND's key office buildings.

What is ROCKBUND? As they define themselves: "ROCKBUND is an art and cultural platform on the fringe — never ordinary or predictable, yet compelling and desirable. While on the fringe of culture, the brand is not out of reach and aims to make cultural experiences more accessible to the mainstream." see: https://www.rockbund.com/en/page/detail/8bbKZ.html

Download the ENG or CN press release here:

🎉Hudec has arrived to the Műcsarnok - Kunsthalle Budapest! An exciting exhibition will feature Hudec objects, including this painting. This portrait of L.E. Hudec was painted in Shanghai in 1935 by 👨‍🎨László Tatz (1888-1951), a native of Máriapócs, who had a great career in Asia, and this work has never been shown anywhere before. We were delighted to loan this artwork sent to the Foundation by American relatives for the exhibition opening on the 14th of December. Several documents from the rich Hudec heritage in Budapest will be on display. It is worth visiting for all interested in architecture, Asia, cross-cultural stories, and more. Info about the exhibition HERE