Rákóczi Cartel is an open association of creative small businesses that are sensitive to their social and built environment, the “Csarnok” Quarter.

The project was launched by the Mindspace team in 2018 spring with the aim of filling in vacant business premises of the neighbourhood with new features and incubating a more colorful, activated life into the quarter. The vision is based on the sensitization of the current gentrification processes, to attempt turning the controversial social inherent towards appreciation and utilization of existing local values. Our placemaking approach includes the involvement of local residents, businesses and institutions, organization of community programs, promotion of organic and non-exponential development, professional mentoring, and creation of a more livable neighbourhood.

In its first etap, the following Cartel members opened their doors:

BRFK Gallery
BRFK is an outsider photographer club focusing on temporary exhibitions. The gallery’s community-ness includes an Epson R2000 photo printer, a 24-inch color correct monitor, an honor-system coffee machine, a free to use fruit press and regular formal or informal photography events.

BARTR Budapest Art Residency studio
BARTR is a fresh initiative which invites international artists to create in Budapest, to discover and get inspired by its spaces. BARTR was launched with the idea of collaboration between local and international artists and organizations via transdisciplinary art. Through the open call international visual artists applied to the 11 weeks long residency program and 11 of them got selected. Local artists and organizations lead workshops and lectures almost every week which help residents to get even more involved in the local artist community and print-focused scene.They closed their Budapest stay in mid-June with a group exhibition. One of their studios and exhibition space was part of the Rákóczi Cartel and located just behind the market.

Verkstaden shop and silk screen studio
Verkstaden is a team of young graphic designers and freelance artists, led by Pálma Pintér. They feature captivating, funny, thought-provoking, statement clothes and bags made with silk screen printing technique. It is important for them to express feminist, self-conscious and fair ideas, and to promote environmental awareness. They either reinterpret second-hand clothes, or sew new ones in-house, adding their brilliant messages on top. Screen printing technique not just something to admire visually on the tees, but citizens can join the making process as the team hold workshops and occasional study groups where one can catch some tricks. At the first round of Rákóczi Squareing, Pálma’s team made t-shirts, tablecloths and aprons for the market vendors and farmers, inspired by the spirit of the hall.

Hurrikan Press
Hurrikan Press’s work seems to have been escaped from a modern poster exhibition. The soul of the graphic office, which runs under the management of Árpi Szigeti, as a printing studio and an independent publisher, is the risograph stencil machine, which has brought to life many images from fine arts to graphic magazines. If you’ve already got 8OLDAL, Mindspace’s alternative 8th district magazine, you’ve met the typical visual world of this technology. Now Hurrikan Press is part of the Rákóczi Cartel, offering its service and workshops to the ones interested in this classic and progressive printing technique.

UbikEklektik Office
The Ubik organizing office condenses a not even slightly schematic section of the creative media in Budapest. The team organizes programs such as the cultic Szőnyi camps in Zebegény, a mini-festival to kick-off new fine art semester or the UbikFarm, an eco-farm summer mini-festival. They organize their festivals and their communities along a special spirit, where environmental awareness and human focus are the base. The all-artistic nature is indispensable, including all creative souls, be it a musician, a painter, or a media artist, to find the essential points of attachment.

Mindspace Pop-up Office
Mindspace is a non-profit organization focusing on urbanism, culture-based neighbourhood development and event organization. Now laying its efforts into the revitalization of ‘Csarnok’ negyed and its heart, the Rákóczi Market. This includes last year’s Rákóczi Squareing, the Rákóczi Breakfast on Saturdays and the Rákóczi Cartel, by which we are incubating creative small businesses into empty business premises.

The project is part of the Shared Cities: Creative Momentum international project.