Culture collides with politics of the past

In post-communist Europe, progressive artists ordinarily consider going against the norm, challenging the intrinsic conservatism of the state, as a raison d'être. This stance, while characteristic of progressive artists throughout the world, takes on a special significance here. Our newly democratic societies were for decades accustomed to censorship and top-down directives from an all-powerful Culture Ministry seeking to stomp out any creative activity that didn't fall under the auspices of some state institution. As a result, all independent art has taken on an intrinsic political meaning, which even 23 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain continues to resonate with local decision makers.

The other, more inadvertent result of communist rule is that a large part of our cultural institutions remains in public hands, dependent on state funding and prone to politicization. When government funds dry up in times of austerity, grant disbursement becomes subject to nepotistic practices, and independent cultural institutions are typically the first to fold. While this trajectory can also be observed in Prague and Warsaw, its implications are far more destructive for Budapest, whose revered cultural institutions have fallen prey to the nationalist and religiously conservative ideologies of Viktor Orbán's government. With major cultural outlets firmly in the hands of a likeminded former interior decorator and oversight of the Hungarian National Theater granted to a man who wants to make it "more national and sacred," it is no wonder that many of the country's artists are concerned about their future. While Hungary is still far from experiencing the types of restrictions on independent art as, for example, authoritarian Belarus, the damage sustained from Orbán's policies is likely to cripple its cultural scene long after the conservative PM gets voted out. Independent performing-arts institutions - among the first victims of the culture war - have resolved to continue despite devastating funding cuts, but it's only a matter of time before financial and political pressure compel these artists to seek better opportunities abroad.

While the years to come will be disenchanting, the situation may provide an impetus for necessary reform in the long run. The artists who stay in Hungary will be forced to search for innovative ways to support their independence. Ideally, this will create novel cooperative platforms, community support and public-private endeavors, all of which would decouple Hungary's modern cultural scene from the whims of its politicians. If that happens, the country will become a source of emulation for the entire region.