Get to Know and Recreate It! - From Traditional Patterns to New Motifs

As part of a new phase of the Petőfi Cultural Programme, the Museum of Ethnography is launching a travelling exhibition titled Get to Know and Recreate It! – From Traditional Patterns to New Motifs. The exhibition will be presented this year at the following locations: Kétsoprony, Iváncsa, Sopron, Kisvejke, Derecske, Vértessomló, Jászkisér, Monor, Somogysárd, Fehérgyarmat, Bucsu, Mindszent, Szűcsi, Letenye, Bükkszentkereszt, Tázlár, Hidas, and Varsány. The interactive exhibition will first be on display at the Kétsoprony Community Space (5674 Kétsoprony, Dózsa György Street 22) from 2 to 12 June 2025.

At the heart of the travelling exhibition is the introduction of Hungarian folk decorative art and its contemporary uses, made possible through a new digital application. Through engaging panels showcasing the museum’s objects and illustrations, visitors gain a general understanding of the decorative arts typical of the Carpathian Basin, along with historical context. The themed and geographically organised display also allows visitors to explore the stories behind individual patterns and motifs.

The contemporary use of decorative elements found on artefacts is made possible via an interactive motif-design application, accessible on touchscreens placed within the exhibition. For each decorative element and motif, users can view photographs of the object it originated from, along with details of the design, its place of origin, and further relevant information. In this way, new patterns can be created while maintaining awareness of the origins of the source elements.

The MotifCreator application represents a fusion of decoration and mathematics, enabling the generation of new visual forms without any loss of quality or data. This innovative approach uniquely combines museum source materials with the possibilities offered by modern technology.

The travelling exhibition is organised by the Museum of Ethnography within the framework of the Petőfi Cultural Programme. This nationwide series of events forms part of the Regional Cultural Services Model Programme of the National Institute for Culture, and is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation. As a result, the knowledge preserved by the Museum of Ethnography is now accessible even in the smallest communities—sometimes in a professional format, other times as an engaging experience!

Try it out yourself! MotifCreator