Flags for this year’s International Danube Festival – which takes place every two years in Ulm – are being handcrafted by artists at the art quarter Budapest, situated along the beautiful Danube. We visited this creative workshop.

János Borsos is the designer. Lilla Lőrinc manages the project. Eszter Nagy and Marcell Horváth do the sewing and painting. All four hail from different corners of Hungary and Romania and currently work at art quarter Budapes – the aqb. Since November, they have been hard at work on a commission whose sheer scale is unprecedented even for them: the creation of 666 flags for the International Danube Festival in Ulm, plus several dozen spare – just in case any are lost, damaged, or stolen.

“We have never produced anything on this scale before,” they say. Airbrushing on textile – a technique that all four of them had to master from scratch. Routines were tested, fabrics evaluated, and schedules adjusted. Now, months later, everything is running smoothly. Everything is set to be finished by the end of May. “Actually, it was Wolfgang who first approached us with this opportunity. We’ve known each other for a long time and have already completed many projects together for the aqb. We feel very fortunate to have his trust,” says Borsos.

The art quarter Budapest – or aqb for short – is situated right on the banks of the Danube. Just over twenty years ago, Wolfgang Bartesch from Bonn breathed new life into the former brewery, awakening it from its slumber. Today, around 40 artists work here: painters, sculptors, musicians, dancers, and ceramists. There are no mandates, no restrictions. In addition, there is an Artist-in-Residence program that connects international guests with the local scene – a concept unique not only to Hungary but to all of Central and Eastern Europe.

Yet the aqb is more than just a studio space. The air is filled with the scent of freshly baked bread from the on-site bakery. In a newly opened tavern – designed by a young architect from Bavaria who spent his Erasmus+ exchange her – authentic Bavarian pretzels sit on the tables. High up on the façade, a peregrine falcon is nesting in a specially constructed birdhouse. And soon, beer will once again be brewed here – just as it was in days gone by.

And in this unique setting, flags featuring unique motifs – inspired by water and rivers – are taking shape. In this way, the artists are bringing legends from every country along the river’s course to life on fabric – hand-painted on both sides. In their view, water moves across borders, thereby connecting places that may be politically or culturally far apart: “The Danube cannot be understood merely as a river line, but rather as a broader system of relationships that it sustains. This also reflects an understanding of identity and cultural experience shaped by connections and mutual influences – rather than by rigid boundaries,” the artists explain.

What brings them the most joy? “Seeing all the flags along the Danube in Ulm!” After the festival, the flags will be available for purchase – a wonderful opportunity to hang one of the most beautiful legends of the Danube region on your wall.

Mirella Sidro,
Sarajevo