In Flux is an activist-artistic boat journey to the Black Sea, from Linz (Austria) to Sulina (Romania). The project utilizes the Danube as an intercultural connection route and aims to create a sustainable transnational network that counteracts the increasing distancing from democratic values: people from various Danube countries engage in dialogue and strengthen cultural and media diversity. Broadcasts from the bow camera and a diverse audio program with various journalistic formats provide insights into the journey, document encounters, and highlight the work of the crew, who are active in the fields of visual arts, design, music, and literature. Broadcasts via Radio FRO and Dorf TV, as well as a viewing and listening station in Linz, make In Flux accessible to a broad audience.
The ship MaTjoPo sets course for the Black Sea from Linz. Within 30 days – from May 22n – on it will travel down the Danube through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldava, Ukraine, and Romania, finally arriving in Sulina (Danube Delta). On board is a crew consisting of artists from various disciplines.
In Flux stands out for its focus on democracy and its vision of creating a sustainable network.
The project is an interdisciplinary platform that combines art and activism to counteract the increasing distancing from democratic values and to promote cultural and media diversity along the Danube. The Danube serves as the central connecting element – a symbol of exchange and polylogue, linking cultures and countries along its course.
The growing distance from democratic values and the resurgence of nationalist-authoritarian tendencies can be observed in many places, particularly in Austria and other Central and Eastern European countries. This brings the role of the Danube as a natural and civilizational connecting route into focus. The river has always transported not only goods and people but also ideas and ways of life, crossing national borders and cultural spaces while fostering cohesion and exchange.
The goal of In Flux is to deepen this exchange and build a stable network: on the one hand, through pre-organized meetings with artists and cultural workers along the Danube, and on the other, by creating space and time for spontaneous and random encounters during the journey. The project seeks to highlight the Danube as a shared source of inspiration and to strengthen subcultural cooperation within Europe.
A static camera at the bow of the ship – coupled with an ambient microphone – continuously records the journey 24/7. The broadcast can be followed on the project website and is also partially integrated into the Dorf TV program. Its meditative effect is reminiscent of well-known formats such as night loops, The Most Beautiful Railway Routes, or fireplace streams.
Additionally, the crew continuously produces audio content, which is broadcast via Radio FRO, via danubestreamwaves.org and published on the project website. These serve both to document meetings with cultural workers from other Danube countries – in the form of interviews (for example, with members of the Hungarian Civil Rádió), discussion rounds (for example, with the activist art collective Karkatag from Belgrade), joint improvisational concerts (for example, with Romanian Doina musicians), readings, thought protocols, and acoustic explorations of places. They also document everyday life on board: for example, the literary logbook by Stephan Roiss, 30 Days of Blue – A Description of Water by Christine Pavlic, yoga sessions led by Gigi Gratt, field recording compositions developed by him, and the daily reports on the route and weather conditions by captain Markus Luger.
Both the footage from the bow camera and the audio recordings will also be made accessible via viewing and listening stations in public spaces in Linz.
Viewing and listening station in public space
In Linz, a viewing and listening station will be installed in public space, allowing people to visually and acoustically immerse themselves in the project, becoming part of the journey of MaTjoPo without physically being on board. Users will not only get a direct view of the river landscape the ship is passing through but also audio impressions from the „belly“ of the ship itself, where socio-political and artistic discussions take place and where the daily life of the crew unfolds. In this way, the viewing and listening station serves as an artistic interface between the local population and the project, making In Flux accessible to a larger audience and raising awareness of the transcultural and democracy-promoting dimensions of the journey, the importance of the Danube as a connecting medium, and the role of Linz as a hub for innovative art and cultural projects.
The viewing and listening station also emphasizes aspects of local connection and sustainability: it consists of a periscope equipped with a monitor and active speakers, which was formerly part of an art installation by Linz artist Leo Schatzl and has found new use in In Flux.
The installation will be located at Stadtwerkstatt in Linz. The periscopes will be maintained and supervised by our project partner, the cultural association running the venue.
