Karcag, 25 March 2026 – “Works of art belong in their natural habitat, i.e. the exhibition spaces of museums, not storage facilities or the corridors of private offices,” according to MNB Governor Mihály Varga, speaking at the transfer of the MNB’s art collection in Karcag. The MNB Governor emphasised that loaning the Bank’s fine art collection to museums was a win for everyone involved: the museums, the public and the artists.
Governor Varga highlighted that the MNB’s new management strongly believed that the Bank should concentrate its resources on fulfilling its primary objectives as set forth by law, to the highest possible standard. Therefore, activities outside of its core mandate had been reviewed and the use of resources in these areas was being rationalised. As he had previously noted, in parallel with this, the decision was made to return works of art belonging to the MNB’s collection to their natural environment, i.e. museums. The Governor added that it was important for the MNB that these works of art be displayed in various parts of the country, and thus in the future the art would be accessible in person in 1 museum in Budapest and 29 museums outside of Budapest. 23 works of art were loaned to Karcag. As he had previously mentioned, they had turned to the museum’s management with the request that they ensure the artworks’ best possible placement. The aim of this is that every painting, sculpture or other work of art become accessible to those interested in the fine arts in the places most befitting of them. Governor Varga explained that we could expect significant positive effects from loaning the works of art: previously inaccessible works of art becoming visible could result in renown and acclaim for artists, and additionally, museums and the public benefitted from this initiative as the newly displayed works of art in the museums fostered culture with both their novelty and artistic value. The MNB has already loaned works of art to museums in Budapest, Debrecen and Székesfehérvár.
Magyar Nemzeti Bank