Fabulon, one of the most popular skincare brands of the socialist era in Hungary, burst onto the scene in 1971, becoming a pioneer of conscious skincare while also introducing marketing practices based on Western models and a sophisticated approach to packaging and graphic design. By highlighting the story of Fabulon, the exhibition looks back to explore how the beauty industry, products, routines, objects, stores, and advertising have changed over the past fifty years.

Fabulon, one of the most popular skincare brands of the socialist era in Hungary, burst onto the scene in 1971, becoming a pioneer of conscious skincare while also introducing marketing practices based on Western models and a sophisticated approach to packaging and graphic design. By highlighting the story of Fabulon, the exhibition looks back to explore how the beauty industry, products, routines, objects, stores, and advertising have changed over the past fifty years.

A BŐRE ŐRE: FABULONTÓL A KORTÁRS SZÉPSÉGÁPOLÁSIG
(THE GUARDIAN OF YOUR SKIN: FROM FABULON TO CONTEMPORARY SKIN CARE)
9 June – 17 July 2026, editory, Budapest


CURATORS: edit (Lilla GOLLOB, Kitti MAYER, Réka VIKÁRIUS, Noémi VISKI)
RESEARCH PARTICIPANT: Piroska NOVÁK
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Kira KOROKNAI
MAIN SUPPORTER: Rossmann Hungary
SUPPORTER: Keve Cosmetics
EXHIBITION DOCUMENTATION PHOTOS: Domonkos HORVÁTH

CONTRIBUTORS AND PARTNERS: Budapest Poster Gallery, Dániel ERDÉLY és Jakab ERDÉLY, Ernst Gallery, Dóra GÁLNÉ GALAMBOS, Kara&Co., Dávid KURUCZ, Magyar Kereskedelmi és Vendéglátóipari Múzeum, Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum Közgyűjteményi Központ – Iparművészeti Múzeum, Maruderm, Nerds, Ági PATAKI, Pigmenta Art Print Lab, PRÄS, Revuele, Szépművészeti Múzeum – Közép-Európai Művészettörténeti Kutatóintézet Archívum és Dokumentációs Központ, Berta VALLÓ, Juli VERES, Villa Gyetvai

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Katalin BAKOS, Ágnes BÁLINT, Ádám BORBÉLY, Ágnes CSIZIK LÁSZLÓNÉ NÁSZ, Anita FARKAS, Zsófia FRAZON, Emese GÓG, Levente KOVÁCS, Veronika KÖVESDI, Eszter LAKI, Péter MÁRI, Katalin RÁNKY, Zsombor TALPASSY

The unforgettable slogan ‘Fabulon a bőre őre’ (Fabulon, the guardian of your skin), model Ági Pataki as the face of the brand, the iconic Fabulon mosaic in Kálvin Square, internationally acclaimed advertising campaigns, and award-winning packaging all together offer a lens through which we can better understand the design culture of the 1970s and 1980s, while also bringing Generations X, Y, and Z closer together. Enriched with fresh perspectives and viewed through the eyes of today’s consumers, the history of Fabulon also reveals how ideas of femininity and beauty, as well as the ways brands communicate with customers, have evolved over the past decades.

The unforgettable slogan ‘Fabulon a bőre őre’ (Fabulon, the guardian of your skin), model Ági Pataki as the face of the brand, the iconic Fabulon mosaic in Kálvin Square, internationally acclaimed advertising campaigns, and award-winning packaging all together offer a lens through which we can better understand the design culture of the 1970s and 1980s, while also bringing Generations X, Y, and Z closer together. Enriched with fresh perspectives and viewed through the eyes of today’s consumers, the history of Fabulon also reveals how ideas of femininity and beauty, as well as the ways brands communicate with customers, have evolved over the past decades.

The unforgettable slogan ‘Fabulon a bőre őre’ (Fabulon, the guardian of your skin), model Ági Pataki as the face of the brand, the iconic Fabulon mosaic in Kálvin Square, internationally acclaimed advertising campaigns, and award-winning packaging all together offer a lens through which we can better understand the design culture of the 1970s and 1980s, while also bringing Generations X, Y, and Z closer together. Enriched with fresh perspectives and viewed through the eyes of today’s consumers, the history of Fabulon also reveals how ideas of femininity and beauty, as well as the ways brands communicate with customers, have evolved over the past decades.

BERTA VALLÓ: Fabulon, 2026

BERTA VALLÓ: Fabulon, 2026

BERTA VALLÓ: Fabulon, 2026

LAJOS GÖRÖG: Fabulon beauty products, 1972
(Budapest Poster Gallery)

LAJOS GÖRÖG: Fabulon beauty products, 1972
(Budapest Poster Gallery)

The exhibition is the second phase of the curatorial project ‘Object Fetish’ (originally published as an article series by Kitti Mayer and Piroska Novák). The previous exhibition, ‘Honey, have you ever heard of “zacskós-tej-tartó”? (2024) traced the biography of the plastic milk spout. This time, we applied the same research method not to one specific type of object, but to a brand. Rather than systematically following the evolution of skincare culture over fifty years, we examined the changes by comparing then and now. This approach led us to further nuance the results coming from our researcher role by our experiences as consumers.

The exhibition is the second phase of the curatorial project ‘Object Fetish’ (originally published as an article series by Kitti Mayer and Piroska Novák). The previous exhibition, ‘Honey, have you ever heard of “zacskós-tej-tartó”? (2024) traced the biography of the plastic milk spout. This time, we applied the same research method not to one specific type of object, but to a brand. Rather than systematically following the evolution of skincare culture over fifty years, we examined the changes by comparing then and now. This approach led us to further nuance the results coming from our researcher role by our experiences as consumers.

The exhibition is the second phase of the curatorial project ‘Object Fetish’ (originally published as an article series by Kitti Mayer and Piroska Novák). The previous exhibition, ‘Honey, have you ever heard of “zacskós-tej-tartó”? (2024) traced the biography of the plastic milk spout. This time, we applied the same research method not to one specific type of object, but to a brand. Rather than systematically following the evolution of skincare culture over fifty years, we examined the changes by comparing then and now. This approach led us to further nuance the results coming from our researcher role by our experiences as consumers.