The Kádár Cube Comeback

From Hungarian Cubes: Subversive Ornaments in Socialism (2014) by Katharina Roters

Kádár cubes, named after János Kádár, the Communist leader of Hungary between 1956 and 1988, fell out of fashion long ago but are now making a comeback on the internet, on the websites of art magazines, and trendy social media pages. There are approximately 800,000 of these square houses with tent-like roofs spread across the country, usually in small villages and built between 1960 and 1980. Many of these homes are now being renovated.

Images: Hungarian Cubes: Subversive Ornaments in Socialism (2014) by Katharina Roters

Hungarian Cubes: Subversive Ornaments in Socialism, a book by German-Hungarian artist Katharina Roters, has inspired a new generation of Hungarian creatives to embrace the once-maligned abodes. They appear in film, paintings and even fashion design.

Kádár Cube dress from the 2019 collection by Dóra Tomcsányi

Read more: Calvert Journal