Four 19th-century palaces in downtown Budapest, wrapped in golden fabric. On the commission of Pyxis Nautica Design and Build, these heritage-protected buildings were covered not only to secure their facades until their renovations start but as to create an urban-scale artistic intervention. By wrapping these buildings in gold, the project aims to challenge our perception of our built environment. Instead of considering them as mere scenery of their everyday routine, passers-by are invited to interact with these buildings in a different way. To get curious about what the wrapping hides, get closer to the palaces and touch them; to experience and consider them as physical objects. While hiding the facades and creating mystery, the shiny wrapping reflects light and serves as a foggy mirror, thus making something else visible. Gold carries a complex, multi-layered symbolism. As a material that never rusts or tarnishes, in this work, first of all, its use refers to the heritage-protected status of the palaces and their original shine and magnificence.
The project was created on the commission of and in collaboration with Pyxis Nautica Design and Build and Optinvest Zrt. Photo 4, 5 and 10 by Bálint Jaksa, other images by Daniel Szalai.
