Kristin Faurest presents "The Roma Parliament and the Artists Garden" at Ignite Budapest #1, at Treehugger Dan's Cafe and Bookstore, Budapest, Hungary, 28 May 2009.

1. Tav aszmez ő -Artists Garden initiative The O bjective : to create a national Roma arts and culture center that would preserve significant historic architectural elements and reconnect and redevelop them , using a n inclusive community design process The site : the roma parliament building, its outbuildings and courtyard, and an adjoining (formerly connected) lot on József utca with artists’ studios and a sculpture garden The driving force : an informal coalition of roma civil activists, urban preservationists, environmentalists, community developers, landscape architecture and architecture students, collaborating in a community planning process

2. From the coalition’s mission statement: ...to keep the complex’s current functions (art, cultural and Roma advocacy) while at the same time expanding the functions with new artistic, cultural, advocacy functions that, within the framework of a new plan of use, would retain the historic value of the building complex and be suitable to the surrounding neighborhood. Further, The civil initiative’s higher goal is to promote Roma-Hungarian cooperation in the interest of Roma integration.

3. Budapest District VIII

5. Tavaszmez ő utca 6, Roma Parliament building social, legal and cultural resources for the Roma community: Roma Parliament Hungary’s only permanent Roma contemporary art collection the editorial offices of Amaro Drom magazine Phralipe Association

6. Construction started in 1863 and included a small factory and horse stables. Additional stories and side wings were added throughout the 1890s, with the last small additions completed in 1948. The main building is in dilapidated condition but still retains most of its original architectural details.

7. Rear galleries of the Roma Parliament building

8. From the art collection

10. New Year’s celebrations

11. József u. 37 – the studios and the sculpture garden

13. After The stone carving workshop was closed down the workshops were rented to artists, many of them the most famous names of Hungarian 19th and early 20th century painting and sculpture. The garden features several sculptures by Martsa István , whose daughter Piroska still uses the studio today.

18. Significance of the project for the community The project is still in its nascent stages, and the final decision of the cultural heritage authorities will influence the final outcome. Still, it is of great significance for many reasons : the resulting cultural center with its garden will be a new kind of community space , narrating the neighborhood’s history, the site’s artistic past, and the Roma arts movement. a collaboration among environmentalists, Roma rights workers, academics, preservationists, designers, municipal officials and others is unprecedented.