Hiller made the announcement at the opening of ?Leger, Dubuffet, Warhol and Others ? Adventures in 20th Century Art?, an exhibition at the Kogart House.
?For every forint spent on modern art by private initiatives and from private funds, the Hungarian state will add another forint,? Hiller said.
The government plans to offer scholarships in Hungary and abroad to help young artists present their work, Hiller said. He also urged closer cooperation between the world of art and business.
?This is a fantastic initiative that will largely improve the situation of Hungarian contemporary art,? Kogart House founder and owner Gábor Kovács said.
?Leger, Dubuffet, Warhol and Others ? Adventures in 20th Century Art?, was opened by Loránd Hegyi, director of the Saint-Etienne Museum of Modern Art, which boasts the second-largest collection of contemporary art in France.
The exhibition focuses on three periods: the classic ?revolutionary? avant-garde, art informel, or European abstract painting after WWII, and new realism and pop art, as well as the past two decades? postmodern efforts, Hegyi said.
Among the 20 artists whose works are included in the exhibition are Fernand Léger, Kurt Schwitters, Bertrand Lavier, John Armleder, Jean-Luc Vilmouth, Andy Warhol, Roy Liechtenstein, and Tom Wesselmann.
The exhibition will run until January 5.
Kovács opened the Kogart House ? the name comes from Kovács Gábor Arts Foundation ? in 2004 to organise contemporary art exhibitions, build a collection of important 21st century art and foster contact between artists and their audience. The venue, located in a renovated villa on Budapest?s historic Andrássy Street, also serves as a home for Kovács?s private collection of Hungarian masterworks.
Kovács was one of the first serious art collectors in post-communist Hungary. The first paintings he bought were for the offices of holding company Bankár, which he heads. He started out buying 19th century paintings, then those from the Nagybánya school, followed by 18th century paintings. Kovács is still an avid collector of Hungarian art, but he leaves purchases of contemporary Hungarian art to the foundation.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
