„At six in the morning, in the grey winter fog, a group of weary, working class women walk the streets of the 8th district. Once they reach Nagytemplom street, they have already gathered in large masses to continue their journey. One of them carries their child on their arm, the other guides them by their hand. They stop before the “Krés” and say their goodbyes to their children. (…) The serene, grey building is the First Nursery House of Budapest, or „Krés”, as the people of the 8th district call it, after its french name: La Créche” („50th anniversary of the Créche of Nagytemplom street “Tolnai Világlapja,” 1928)

The nursery is the place where parents and their children separate for the first time; it is the starting point where social life begins for children within an institutional setting. However, what is often overlooked is that nurseries are also workplaces, where the workers carry out the now indispensable task of caregiving within the nursery, which institution was brought to life by the mass entry of women into the workforce. Therefore, nurseries serve as a model of the future we aspire to have; it does not only take care of the following generations, but also creates a social structure to build upon.

Crèche is a contemporary art exhibition, which began from the collection of the Museum of Nursery located at Nagy Tempom Street 3. The museum, located in the basement of the building, introduces more than 170 years of Hungarian nursery care through its rich collection of artefacts, slides, documents and a library. Visitors of the museum are introduced to the tools of nursery care, the history of children’s toys and also outstanding figures in the profession of nursery caretaking.

Exhibiting artists: Viola Fátyol, Eszter Kállay & Virág Lődi, Csilla Klenyánszki, Gyula A. Kovács

Curators: Luca Fábián, Benedek Farkas, Virág Fehér, Léna Hajdu, Kinga Kovács

Opening: 28 May 2024, 6 pm. Opening speech by the curatorial team. Curatorial guided tour after the event.

On view: 29.05.2024 – 20.06.2024.

Consultants: Flóra Gadó, János Szoboszlai

Sponsors/supporters: Füleky Winery, HUFA student council, HUFA Innovations and Research Office

Special Thanks to: Emese Szlávicsek, Dr. Katalin Csapó, Éva Ferencné Scheer, László Fábián, Péter Fehér, Katalin Kortmann-Járay

This project is the diploma exhibition of third-year students of the Fine Art Theory department of the Hungarian University of Fine Art.

Photo: Máté Lukács