22. September 2008.

Bearing some risk, and also adapting to the mood of the exhibition venue, a special event in the life of Herend this time is the debut of modern Herend porcelains before the public at large. At a ceremony on Saturday the exhibition titled “Herendtrend – Herend on new paths” opened at the Palace of Arts.

The exhibition is open until October 15th at Budapest’s youngest multifunctional cultural institute that entirely satisfies the requirements of the new millennia. This is an unusual Herend debut at which – as Dr. Attila Simon, the managing director said at his ceremonial keynote address – we can take part in a special trip through time, a trip in which the past and the future come together. The past, as porcelains have been manufactured for the past 182 years in Herend using the handcrafted, manufactory techniques; and the future, as all of the exhibited pieces are modern, forward looking, and what is more: mostly experimental and unique. Herend’s cultural and artistic mission is to offer today’s man an alternative: a freedom of choice that is worthy of Herend’s traditions, and is yet still fashionable and novel. This duality also characterizes the exhibited objects, some of which are visible to the public at large for the first time. In his keynote address, Dr. Attila Simon stated that in his view, progress in this world is always advanced by those who have courage, by those with an entrepreneurial spirit. There is nothing special about us if we are better than someone else. The true test is if we can best our prior selves. The future is speeding up, and those who are unable to match this quick pace are left behind. As Herend is the largest porcelain Manufactory in the world and is a well-known and acknowledged brand on each and every inhabited continent, it was able to match the pace and best its former self. It was able to undergo a process of renewal.

After these thoughts Dr. Attila Simon yielded the floor to Kossuth-award winning actor and director Tibor Szilágyi, holder of the “outstanding actor” title, a friend of Herend, who – with great delight - regaled the audience with stories about his ties and personal experiences with Herend and his Herend objects. He concluded his recollection with a fitting poem. The opening ceremony was framed by the play of flutist Szabolcs Kövi.

Interested visitors – who came in great numbers – were given the opportunity to be the first ones to view this special and unusual exhibition of Herend. They could learn about the awards granted to the exceptional employees of the Manufactory; they could even see a few pieces of this year’s master’s examination, and by way of an exciting contrast, in two adjacent showcases they could observe the best of contemporary pieces by our male and female designers. Naturally, the most successful patterns of the past few years could not be left out either. Even the air, the windows and the wall surfaces acted as exhibition surfaces – hosting boomerangs, masks and transparent porcelain sheets. At night the exhibition presents a magical new face, as special reticulated porcelain lamps, colours and shapes give the space a relaxed and warm feeling.

Over the course of its 182 year long history, Herend has become the best of the best by its demonstrated ability to adapt and over and over undergo a process of renewal. The art of remaining stylish and trendy - this was the key to success and this is the key to Herend’s future. It is this future that everyone may gain a glimpse of every day between 10.00 a.m. and 10.00 p.m. at the Palace of Arts on Fesztivál Tér (Festival Square).

This established, renowned Manufactory rarely offers a selection like this, so we invite all to visit the exhibition!