Opening the exhibition, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén described Hungarian hunting culture – which was brought from Asia and developed in the Austro-Hungarian Empire together with the heritage of Austrian, Czech and Bavarian traditions – as “second to none”.

He said anthropologically man is at once heir of nature and builder of culture. He took the view that art related to hunting is able to grasp man’s natural and cultural being at the same time.

Minister of Agriculture István Nagy stressed that materials never before seen together on display were gathered for the exhibition from the collections of the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture, the Institute and Museum of Military History, the Hungarian National Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Hungarian National Gallery.

“Incredible works of art from painting through metalwork to weapon making are on display together here. The exhibition shows that hunting is not against nature, but serves to maintain balance and harmony, following the laws of nature,” Mr Nagy observed.

Director General of the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture János Istók said in addition to the pieces gathered from the five institutions, they also had the opportunity to borrow material from the collections of private individuals and organisations concerned with the preservation of traditions. The result of the process is also documented in a three-hundred-page catalogue.

On behalf of the curators, Balázs Németh added that a 3D digital version of the exhibition with rich video materials will be made available on the Internet.

The Museum of Fine Arts and the Hungarian National Gallery lent the hunting weapon exhibition organised in Vajdahunyad Castle some forty works of art inspired by hunting. The exhibition seeks to promote sustainable hunting through the introduction of European works of art kept in Hungarian museums, but rarely displayed as well as through the demonstration of the complex relationship between man and animal. Traditional methods of hunting in Hungary – such as falconry, coursing, archery and muzzleloader hunting – also form part of the exhibition.

The installation introducing the world of the forest features Count István Széchenyi’s muzzleloader, Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria’s Kirner gun and Archduke Joseph August of Austria’s Mauser repeater. There are spear and arrowheads, crossbows from the 15th century, powder flasks and falconry bags made in the 17th to 19th centuries on display. The fine arts collection entitled ‘Arts and Hunting’ highlights a number of chapters of the history of European hunting and fishing, and their significance for culture.

The exhibition that will be open to visitors until the end of the year is the first event of the Cultural Festival connected to the ‘One with Nature’ World of Hunting and Nature Exhibition starting on 25 September.

Government commissioner for the organisation of the world exhibition Zoltán Kovács highlighted that they have been working on the organisation of the series of events opening on the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Budapest hunting world exposition for two years, and they are now beginning to see the fruits of their labour. “Every element of the world exhibition, including the Cultural Festival is an independent unit in its own right,” he added.

“The goal was for everyone connected to the culture, implementation and passion of hunting or to game protection to be able to showcase themselves. We are offering a selection of programmes that promotes a wider dialogue between nature and arts,” Mr Kovács said.

Programmes of the Cultural Festival attached to the world exhibition include classical and world music concerts, film screenings, literary and theatrical performances, equestrian programmes, and exhibitions of fine arts and crafts.

At a press conference held before the opening of the exhibition, curator of the Cultural Festival György Lőrinczy said it is passion that is common in art aficionados, hunters and conservationists. He added that with the series of programmes they seek to highlight the evident fact that hunting, fishing and nature have been a muse of the arts for thousands of years.

In Vajdahunyad Castle, the Museum of Applied Arts will hold an exhibition of luxury items of its ceramics and glass collection under the title ‘Tableware’. The Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Centre will host an exhibition of Zsigmond Szécheni’s photos, while its nature photography exhibition – which will also feature submissions of the Trash Art Hungary 2021 competition – will be on display at Erzsébet tér.

The opening concert of the series of events – organised by the Palace of Arts (Müpa) and the National Philharmonic Orchestra – will be held on 26 September, featuring works by Rameau, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Wagner and Johann Strauss. Contemporary music will be represented by the symphony ‘Hunter’ by László Dubrovay and ‘The Dance of the Butterfly’ by Péter Eötvös. The event will also feature pianist János Balázs and violinist Júlia Pusker. At the closing concert on 13 October, Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Baroque compositions will be conducted by György Vashegyi.

As part of the Cultural Festival, the Aquarium Club will host world music concerts, while in the Uránia Cinema the lives of the author István Fekete, who was especially attached to nature, and traveller-natural historian Kálmán Kittenberger will be introduced. The theatrical adaptation of Hobo László Földes’s album ‘Hunting’ will be performed in the National Theatre, while the premier of the musical ‘Lord of Game’ will be held on 14 October in RaM Theatre.

Excerpts from Weber’s ‘The Marksman’ will be performed by artists of the Hungarian State Opera at the Eiffel Locomotive Hall, while Erkel Theatre will present the ballet Giselle.