Entering the Strange Garden

Epreskert Art Colony (Strawberry Garden in Hungarian) is a strange place. It’s in the very middle of Budapest and if you are local (or been here for long) you probably walked by and was shocked by it. There are tons of strange (and damaged) statues in there that you can see from the outside.  It’s like a garden from a Miyazaki movie or a glitch from Animatrix: it’s undeniably there, but it just doesn’t fit the pattern of the city. Why is it there? What’s happening in there? Should I laugh? Should I be scared? People wonder, leave and forget about it since it’s so unsettling.  The answer is simple: it has been an artists’ colony since the 19th century where famous sculptors and painters worked. Now it’s part of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, where students (sculptors, painters and scenic designers) learn and create.  There are canonical works exhibited in the garden too, but depicted here are the weird ones. These are the pupils’ works, left to be forgotten or never to be finished. Altogether, this place is the most interesting and comforting error I have ever seen. Special thanks to the leadership of the university for giving me the chance to walk around and take close-ups.