Empangeni Art, Culture and History Museum Curator Ildiko Kovacs is women of many skills.
Responsible for the smooth running of the museum, Kovacs has become a jack of all trades.
‘I have to manage functions hosted at the museum, source work, plan exhibitions and events, deal with staff, uphold cleanliness, ensure proper maintenance of the building, manage administration, do report writing and so on,’ she said.
‘There is pressure to execute exhibitions and it does have its challenges. We sometimes struggle with funding to bring in exhibitions.’
‘We try, however, to remain community orientated by having community exhibitions focusing on Zulu culture, the heritage of the Mthethwa clan and the sugar cane industry for example, We are here to create a platform where local talent can be exposed,’ she said.
Despite the hiccups, Kovacs says the beauty of her job is irreplaceable.
‘It is so incredible to be submersed in creativity on a daily basis. Arranging exhibitions that are artistic, different and unique is the best part. I get to deal with different types of artists all the time.’
Early days
Born and raised in Vereeniging, Kovacs graduated from the University of Pretoria with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in archaeology. She later went on to work as a tour guide at the Vaal Teknorama Museum.
‘I love history. I’m passionate about excavations, the freedom and discovery of the outdoors and working with artefacts,’
Resident in Zululand for almost 16 years, Kovacs says she remembers her first trip to Empangeni.
‘I always wanted to live in KwaZulu-Natal, purely for the sea. I came down for an interview and it was sweltering hot, 42 degrees to be exact.’ she laughed.
A lover of books, bottles and stones
True to her character since a young age, she bought her first antique bottle when she was five years old.
‘I have 2 000 antique bottles and countless rare stones I have collected over the years. It has become so bad that my mom goes looking for stones too.’
Currently she also spends her time doing voluntary work at the SPCA shop.
‘I love animals and I have eight dogs and five cats of my own,
‘I also have a qualification in ceramic and glass restoration which I obtained in 2007 from the South African Institute of Object Conservation in the Eastern Cape, so I enjoy a lot of that too,’ she said.
Kovacs also has a Bachelor of Social Science degree and is presently studying toward her Honours in Psychological Counselling.
Going back to her roots, a typically Hungarian dish of filled paprika and a good book by Linda la Plante accounts for a good day.
