Ecoop gallery is not a gallery in the traditional sense. It is an international experimental base for displaying art. Far from the urban environment, it is located in Zala, a small village hidden among the hills of Somogy, south of Lake Balaton, in the southwestern region of Hungary. Founder Ernst Sturzenegger and his wife Therese Brenner moved from Switzerland to Hungary in 2020 and settled in Zala. They wanted to move away from the urban way of life, but closer to art. They had been involved in the organization of art events in Switzerland, and were looking for an opportunity to create their own art space here as well.

The unique atmosphere of Somogy, the special beauty of its gentle hills captivates visitors. The forests thickets, meadows and, with the villages that pop up and hide in the undulating landscape, the vineyard running up to the hilltops, with their cellars, paint a charmingly diverse, attractively colored picture. People here are also different, they still live differently, think differently from the masses urbanised in spirit. Perhaps they haven’t been separated from their environment, haven’t become alienated, they still know each other. They say hello in the street, appreciate and preserve their heritage.

To create the gallery, rhey purchased the unused building that formerly housed the grocery store and liquor store in the middle of the village. With this immediately identifiable building they acquired and revitalised the familiar community spaces of the village. The architectural value of the building is in its appearance, mass and shape. It bears the characteristic features of the usual shop and pub combo typical of the modernizing architecture of Socialism. Next to the church, these buildings were the main scenes of community life, the place to meet and communicate. During the renovation, they did not touch the exterior, leaving the facade, the entrances and the awnings in their original form. The original layout and characteristic flooring were also preserved in the interior spaces, so the building retained its character, individuality and familiarity.

In addition to organizing exhibitions, the beauty of the landscape and the inspiring environment also offer a special opportunity for artistic creation. Therefore, in the summer, the exhibition space of Ecoop gallery also functions as a work space, suitable for hosting creative camps and workshops. In addition to artistic work, other workshops based on the processing of garden plants are also being organised (e.g., perfume distillery).

For Therese and Ernst, the Ecoop gallery is an experiment in which they combine a rural art gallery with arts and crafts camps, where, in addition to presenting high-quality arts, interested visitors are given the opportunity to experience creative work. They believe that encountering each other, getting to know each other’s perspectives and working together are the most important things in life, as well as in the future of the gallery. That is why they are always open to new connections and opportunities for collaboration and co-operation.

Ecoop gallery is not a gallery in the traditional sense. It is an international experimental base for displaying art. Far from the urban environment, it is located in Zala, a small village hidden among the hills of Somogy, south of Lake Balaton, in the southwestern region of Hungary. Founder Ernst Sturzenegger and his wife Therese Brenner moved from Switzerland to Hungary in 2020 and settled in Zala. They wanted to move away from the urban way of life, but closer to art. They had been involved in the organization of art events in Switzerland, and were looking for an opportunity to create their own art space here as well.

The unique atmosphere of Somogy, the special beauty of its gentle hills captivates visitors. The forests thickets, meadows and, with the villages that pop up and hide in the undulating landscape, the vineyard running up to the hilltops, with their cellars, paint a charmingly diverse, attractively colored picture. People here are also different, they still live differently, think differently from the masses urbanised in spirit. Perhaps they haven’t been separated from their environment, haven’t become alienated, they still know each other. They say hello in the street, appreciate and preserve their heritage.

To create the gallery, rhey purchased the unused building that formerly housed the grocery store and liquor store in the middle of the village. With this immediately identifiable building they acquired and revitalised the familiar community spaces of the village. The architectural value of the building is in its appearance, mass and shape. It bears the characteristic features of the usual shop and pub combo typical of the modernizing architecture of Socialism. Next to the church, these buildings were the main scenes of community life, the place to meet and communicate. During the renovation, they did not touch the exterior, leaving the facade, the entrances and the awnings in their original form. The original layout and characteristic flooring were also preserved in the interior spaces, so the building retained its character, individuality and familiarity.

In addition to organizing exhibitions, the beauty of the landscape and the inspiring environment also offer a special opportunity for artistic creation. Therefore, in the summer, the exhibition space of Ecoop gallery also functions as a work space, suitable for hosting creative camps and workshops. In addition to artistic work, other workshops based on the processing of garden plants are also being organised (e.g., perfume distillery).

For Therese and Ernst, the Ecoop gallery is an experiment in which they combine a rural art gallery with arts and crafts camps, where, in addition to presenting high-quality arts, interested visitors are given the opportunity to experience creative work. They believe that encountering each other, getting to know each other’s perspectives and working together are the most important things in life, as well as in the future of the gallery. That is why they are always open to new connections and opportunities for collaboration and co-operation.

Ecoop gallery is not a gallery in the traditional sense. It is an international experimental base for displaying art. Far from the urban environment, it is located in Zala, a small village hidden among the hills of Somogy, south of Lake Balaton, in the southwestern region of Hungary. Founder Ernst Sturzenegger and his wife Therese Brenner moved from Switzerland to Hungary in 2020 and settled in Zala. They wanted to move away from the urban way of life, but closer to art. They had been involved in the organization of art events in Switzerland, and were looking for an opportunity to create their own art space here as well.

The unique atmosphere of Somogy, the special beauty of its gentle hills captivates visitors. The forests thickets, meadows and, with the villages that pop up and hide in the undulating landscape, the vineyard running up to the hilltops, with their cellars, paint a charmingly diverse, attractively colored picture. People here are also different, they still live differently, think differently from the masses urbanised in spirit. Perhaps they haven’t been separated from their environment, haven’t become alienated, they still know each other. They say hello in the street, appreciate and preserve their heritage.

To create the gallery, rhey purchased the unused building that formerly housed the grocery store and liquor store in the middle of the village. With this immediately identifiable building they acquired and revitalised the familiar community spaces of the village. The architectural value of the building is in its appearance, mass and shape. It bears the characteristic features of the usual shop and pub combo typical of the modernizing architecture of Socialism. Next to the church, these buildings were the main scenes of community life, the place to meet and communicate. During the renovation, they did not touch the exterior, leaving the facade, the entrances and the awnings in their original form. The original layout and characteristic flooring were also preserved in the interior spaces, so the building retained its character, individuality and familiarity.

In addition to organizing exhibitions, the beauty of the landscape and the inspiring environment also offer a special opportunity for artistic creation. Therefore, in the summer, the exhibition space of Ecoop gallery also functions as a work space, suitable for hosting creative camps and workshops. In addition to artistic work, other workshops based on the processing of garden plants are also being organised (e.g., perfume distillery).

For Therese and Ernst, the Ecoop gallery is an experiment in which they combine a rural art gallery with arts and crafts camps, where, in addition to presenting high-quality arts, interested visitors are given the opportunity to experience creative work. They believe that encountering each other, getting to know each other’s perspectives and working together are the most important things in life, as well as in the future of the gallery. That is why they are always open to new connections and opportunities for collaboration and co-operation.

Ecoop gallery is not a gallery in the traditional sense. It is an international experimental base for displaying art. Far from the urban environment, it is located in Zala, a small village hidden among the hills of Somogy, south of Lake Balaton, in the southwestern region of Hungary. Founder Ernst Sturzenegger and his wife Therese Brenner moved from Switzerland to Hungary in 2020 and settled in Zala. They wanted to move away from the urban way of life, but closer to art. They had been involved in the organization of art events in Switzerland, and were looking for an opportunity to create their own art space here as well.

The unique atmosphere of Somogy, the special beauty of its gentle hills captivates visitors. The forests thickets, meadows and, with the villages that pop up and hide in the undulating landscape, the vineyard running up to the hilltops, with their cellars, paint a charmingly diverse, attractively colored picture. People here are also different, they still live differently, think differently from the masses urbanised in spirit. Perhaps they haven’t been separated from their environment, haven’t become alienated, they still know each other. They say hello in the street, appreciate and preserve their heritage.

To create the gallery, rhey purchased the unused building that formerly housed the grocery store and liquor store in the middle of the village. With this immediately identifiable building they acquired and revitalised the familiar community spaces of the village. The architectural value of the building is in its appearance, mass and shape. It bears the characteristic features of the usual shop and pub combo typical of the modernizing architecture of Socialism. Next to the church, these buildings were the main scenes of community life, the place to meet and communicate. During the renovation, they did not touch the exterior, leaving the facade, the entrances and the awnings in their original form. The original layout and characteristic flooring were also preserved in the interior spaces, so the building retained its character, individuality and familiarity.

In addition to organizing exhibitions, the beauty of the landscape and the inspiring environment also offer a special opportunity for artistic creation. Therefore, in the summer, the exhibition space of Ecoop gallery also functions as a work space, suitable for hosting creative camps and workshops. In addition to artistic work, other workshops based on the processing of garden plants are also being organised (e.g., perfume distillery).

For Therese and Ernst, the Ecoop gallery is an experiment in which they combine a rural art gallery with arts and crafts camps, where, in addition to presenting high-quality arts, interested visitors are given the opportunity to experience creative work. They believe that encountering each other, getting to know each other’s perspectives and working together are the most important things in life, as well as in the future of the gallery. That is why they are always open to new connections and opportunities for collaboration and co-operation.

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