ACAX | Agency for Contemporary Art Exchange was formed in January 2006 by the Hungarian Ministry of Education and Culture with the goal of facilitating efficient and continuous professional exchange among actors of the contemporary art scene in Hungary and abroad. Until summer 2008, the Agency operated within the institutional framework of Hungarofest Kht. After nearly 3 years on the scene, as of 1 September 2008, ACAX continued to operate within the organisational framework of Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art, as an independent programme of the Museum.
Building on its results over the past three years, ACAX’s major scope of operation remains unchanged: residency programmes, visitor programmes, study trips, exhibitions and public events in collaboration with international contemporary art institutions, the organization of conferences and projects as well as their professional and financial support, and the preparation and provision for Hungarian participation in international biennials and other significant shows.
In the scope of nearly thirty foreign curators and critics are invited on study trips of a few days in Budapest between autumn 2008 and summer 2009. The goal of the programme is to allow as many international professionals as possible to become acquainted with actors of the Hungarian art scene, and to provide an opportunity for the Hungarian public to learn about the visitor's interests, their professional work and ideas, as well as the current conditions of the visitors' scene in the scope of public presentations and thematic panel talks.
Team Between 2006 and 2008 ACAX was led by Barnabás Bencsik who was appointed director of Ludwig Museum on 1 March 2008. For this reason, from September 2008, ACAX is co-run by its earlier coordinator, Tijana Stepanovic (art critic, curator), and Rita Kálmán (art historian, independent curator).
Contact: ACAX | Nemzetközi Kortárs Képzőművészeti Iroda ACAX | Agency for Contemporary Art Exchange
Address: 1065 Budapest, Nagymező utca 8. (doorbell 101, entrance from building's foyer) Tel: (+36 1) 501 4111 Fax: (+36 1) 501 4112 tijana.stepanovic@acax.hu www.acax.hu