The centre opened to show an exhibition of works by Goya and another of contemporary Szeged-based artists. The Goya exhibition, entitled Beauty and Pain, presents the artist's Capriccio series of some 80 paintings and etchings. Visitors to the exhibition will also see a series of graphic works by William Blake as well as paintings by the Hungarian artist Béla Kondor.
The other exhibition shows works, including paintings, sculptures and other media, by more than 30 local artists. All of the works are in some way connected to contemporary trends in Hungary or elsewhere in Europe.
Ede Magyar designed the Reök Palace for the engineer Iván Reök and his family. The building was completed in 1907. Though Szeged was no stranger to Art Nouveau, the building was a stark contrast to other stylistically similar buildings in the city as it did not copy the elements established by Ödön Lechner, a representative of the National Romanticism movement, Hungary's unique version of Art Nouveau and Jugendstil.
It is hoped the Reök Palace will become one of Hungary's most important arts centres. Already, a retrospective of the works of the graphic artist János Kass is scheduled for the end of the year, and an exhibition of pieces by the artist El Kazovszkij, famous for his set designs, will open in 2008. Future exhibitions will also feature Szeged's best known avant-garde artists, such as the Bauhaus artist László Moholy-Nagy and the sculptor József Csáky.
