A heavyweight line-up is set for the 17th Post-War and Contemporary Works Auction, as Virág Judit Gallery readies a star-studded sale at the Budapest Music Center on November 19 at 6 p.m. Headliners include standout paintings by Ilona Keserü and the Hungarian-born global icon Vera Molnar, alongside major works by Imre Bak, János Fajó, and Ferenc Lantos. The new wave of ultracontemporary artists gets its spotlight too, with Máté Orr and Márton Nemes among the names. The gallery also unveiled a key digital upgrade: a timed online auction option for buyers.
The event marks a milestone for a gallery that remains the first and only in Hungary to stage dedicated contemporary auctions for years. The mission is clear: elevate Hungarian contemporary art into Europe’s top tier and boost the prestige of outstanding local creators. That effort is paying off, with this year’s sale shaping up to be an event of international importance.
All works can be viewed free from November 4–18 at the downtown gallery.
Ilona Keserü still holds the sales record for living Hungarian artists and is gaining steam abroad. Her Hommage à Martyn (2) salutes Ferenc Martyn, a towering 20th-century figure and a founding teacher Keserü considers a master. The serene, eye-catching lyrical painting opens at 30,000,000 HUF (about 82,000 USD).
Vera Molnar, the Hungarian-born legend revered in the U.S. as a pioneer and icon of digital art, is represented by a late work, Double Rectangle Magique. Returning to her core themes of numbers and geometric forms, this painting is considered by experts one of her masterpieces. It opens at 10,000,000 HUF (about 27,000 USD). Molnar died in 2023, and demand for her work has only intensified.
Geometric masters take center stage
János Fajó, a master of Hungarian geometric abstraction, is on the block with Square and Rhombus II, opening at 4,800,000 HUF (about 13,000 USD). Dated 1997, the work showcases Fajó’s rare gift for creating visual tension with simple forms. Painted on wood panel, the innovation folds the contours into the composition itself.
One of the auction’s most anticipated entries is an untitled masterwork by Imre Bak, starting at 18,000,000 HUF (about 49,000 USD). Made in 1989, after Bak’s postmodern turn, the canvas fills with mixed hues, a composition defined by order and clarity.
Ferenc Lantos’s Belonging opens at 9,000,000 HUF (about 24,000 USD). Special not just for its scale but for its patience: Lantos worked on it for 13 years, starting in 1985 and finalizing it in 1998. It’s a true rarity—collectors mainly encounter Lantos through graphics, while large-scale paintings largely reside in private collections and are scarce on the market.
Ultracontemporary heat
The auction features buzzy young ultracontemporary painters. Máté Orr, 40, appears with The Elephant a Room (2024), inspired by Péter Závada’s poem of the same name. The elephant and the room are familiar ideas; together, they spark a fresh mixture of tension and wit. One of today’s most sought-after young artists, Márton Nemes, brings two works to the block.
Where and when to bid
The 17th Post-War and Contemporary Works Auction starts November 19 at 6 p.m. at the Budapest Music Center. The paintings can be viewed free November 4–16 at the gallery, 1055 Budapest, Falk Miksa Street (Falk Miksa utca) 30.
For nearly 30 years, Virág Judit Gallery has been one of the engines of innovation on Hungary’s auction scene. This fall/winter brings another upgrade: a timed online auction on November 23. It kicks off at 6 p.m., with advance bidding already available on the gallery’s website.
