Mi nyílik a beton alatt? Művészet és műemlékvédelem az óbecsei Weinberger-házban és a kertjében
What is Blooming Beneath the Concrete? Art and Monument Protection in the Weinberger House and Garden of Óbecse

Author(s): Endre Raffay
Subject(s): Cultural history, Museology & Heritage Studies, Architecture, Visual Arts, History of Art
Published by: Pécsi Tudományegyetem Művészeti Kar Művészettörténet Tanszék
Keywords: monument preservation; contemporary art; heritage restoration; Weinberger House; garden reconstruction; architectural heritage; artists’ colony; cultural memory; landscape design; interdisciplinary cooperation
Summary/Abstract: The study examines the relationship between contemporary art and monument preservation through the restoration and reinterpretation of the historic Weinberger House and its garden in Bečej, Serbia. The author explains how the idea of connecting art with heritage protection emerged from earlier artistic projects focused on endangered architectural monuments. The Weinberger House, built around 1940, became the central site of the “Art and Monument Preservation” artists’ colony organized in 2024 and 2025. Artists, architects, and students collaborated to clean, document, and partially restore the abandoned building and its neglected garden. The paper presents detailed historical and architectural analyses of the house, its veranda, garden structures, and original decorative elements. Archival photographs were used to reconstruct the original layout of the front garden, including pathways, flowerbeds, and ornamental vegetation. The project also explored how garden reconstruction can combine historical authenticity with contemporary ecological and artistic approaches. Special attention was given to removing later concrete additions and revealing original brick pathways hidden beneath them. Several artistic installations and exhibitions were inspired by the excavation and restoration processes, including the installation titled What Blooms Beneath the Concrete? The study ultimately argues that interdisciplinary cooperation between artists, architects, restorers, and local communities can create innovative forms of cultural heritage preservation and public engagement.

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