The research institute intends to focus on contemporary research, processing the curriculum up to the master of the living masters, with the aim of examining the relationship between society and the arts and the interaction between the branches of art. Researchers review their part of expertise, then they create a research concept based on it, and a research strategy is developed based on the background information. In addition, it intends to examine the theoretical and practical tools of Hungarian art life using social science methods, and their impact on social processes through the examination of critical aspects and the system of art institutions.
Researches focus primarily on the internal (creation, uniqueness, acceptance by the public, mechanism of effects etc.) and external study of art and art theory, so the attachment of art to certain subsystems of society.
In addition to the ongoing scientific examination of the theoretical context of art, the research institute organizes lot of conferences and lecture series on its researches and achievements for audiences interested in the arts. In one year, about 50-100 art theory conferences, series of scientific discussions, book presentations and workshops are usually held by the research institute.
We have been operating a Documentation Center and a Library as an organizational unit since 2017. Its basic task is to collect and systematize the complete oeuvre of the ordinary, correspondent, late and posthumous honorary members of HAA in any form, as well as the published literature on the work of the creators. It operates in two service locations: the library of the research institute in Hild-villa, and in the library of Pesti Vigadó.
Based on the decision of the HAA presidency, our institute manages the HAA Scholarship Program. This program is a large-scale scholarship application, which is unique in Hungary, and guarantees a 3-year free creative period for the contemporary artist of the present. This program starts every year, and it is unique in the terms of application: it does not require a high education degree, because talent and a thorough work plan with a meaningful, quality portfolio are emphasized in the judgment. The aim of the scholarship program is to support scheduled creative and performing art plans and art theory activities for three years, to provide the financial conditions for the mentioned high-quality activities in nine categories.
We also operate the Makovecz Center and Archive in Budapest (1125 Budapest, Városkúti út 2.), which was originally built as a family house: it is created by Imre Makovecz for himself and his wife. Makovecz’s office reconstructed and a smaller exhibition space can be visited in the house. In the center you can find the complete oeuvre: plans, drawings, writings and photographs.
The research institute also operate as a publisher, we publish lots of study volumes in printed and electronic form every year, included the book series titled Fundamenta profunda and Documenta artis, the electronic series Workshop Studies, and the volumes published in cooperation with HAA Publisher, such as Pars pro toto.
The director of the research institute is László Koppány Csáji author, cultural anthropologist and lawyer. (Read more: Researchers’ page.)
