The construction of post-communist ideologies and re-branding of Budapest: the case study of Statue Park Museum

In Hungary today ideology is grounded in 'post-communism', referring to a range of discourses related to democracy, neo-liberal capitalism and nationalism. The trajectory of this chapter begins first with a focus on Statue park, which comprises three related themes: situating the museum within the cultural trail of Budapest and the Hungarian story; a critical evaluation of the museum itself; and theoretical models of audience reception to help establish the complexity of meaning. Second, the emphasis shifts to highlight notions of commodification, memory and brand in relation to Statue Park and Budapest, which comprises four related concerns: the museum signifying the consumption of communism; national governance encouraging the transformation of public space in Budapest; the convoluted reconstitution of memory; and the conceptualisation of visitors that befits the re-branding of the city.