You are standing at the foot of the Rabenštejn Tower, by the wall with the entrance. The tower is a tall structure with Gothic roots. It has four stories and a rectangular shape. What distinguishes it is a high, hipped roof with dormers – small structures with windows projecting from the sloped roof. The tower is plastered and painted a light color. At the corners of the walls, fairly large stone bricks protrude, laid one above the other.
Just below the roofline of the tower, there is a small rectangular window. A banner is hung there. It is suspended from a horizontal pole, which is held up by a line tied to both ends. The banner is an artistic piece, approximately 4 meters long and about 1 meter wide, made using the patchwork technique. This means the entire piece is created by sewing together patches of various fabrics.
The banner is made of fabric sheets in two colors: pink and blue. The colored fields are arranged in five rows. In each row, one color forms the central square, which is surrounded on all sides by narrow bands of the second color. These central squares are roughly one meter wide and nearly square in shape. The overall color scheme alternates like a checkerboard. Each central color field features an appliqué image, created from scraps of other materials. These images are schematic in nature, with a slightly comic-book style. Just below the final row are three triangular decorations. The widest triangle hangs beneath the central square and is pink. Flanking it on both sides are two narrow, pointed blue strips. At the end of these decorations are small weights.
Now we will describe the arrangement of the rows from the top down.
The topmost level features a blue square framed by narrow strips of vibrant pink. At the center of this square is a depiction of the Sun, drawn in a childlike manner. It has seven short, straight rays extending outward. The sun has cheerful eyes positioned above a wide, white smile.
The second row, below that, has a central pink field. It is the pink part of the banner. Against this background is a short tree. The tree has a wide, light-colored trunk that splits into two branches at the top. Above the trunk, to the left, are leaf clusters drawn to resemble green clouds. Like the sun, the tree has a wide smile and narrow, coal-like eyes.
The third, middle row returns to the blue square bordered with pink. At the center is a depiction of a doily. The doily is lace-woven and appears as if it were draped over a sphere. The corners of the doily hang down, giving it a ghost-like appearance.
The fourth row has a central field of pink fabric. In the center is a large silver eighth note – a musical note with a single flag. In the final row of decorations, the central field is blue. On this background stands out a yellow-and-black pencil, placed at a slight angle with the graphite pointing upward. The banner hangs freely, fluttering lightly in the wind and flapping above the heads of passersby.
Note: Sophie Nicklas, the author of the banner, has also created several additional flags in a similar style as part of her artist residency. These flags will be displayed in various parts of the city.
Sophie Nicklas is an interdisciplinary artist, illustrator and comic artist. Her work spans the fields of contemporary drawing, experimental comics and mixed-media storytelling. She enjoys exploring new ways of combining traditional techniques with modern approaches and pushing the boundaries between different forms of visual communication. Her work often reflects feminist themes, cultural narratives and interpersonal relationships, combining different artistic practices across countries and disciplines.
Whispers of the Community- Storytelling on Flags
„Whispers of the Community – Storytelling Through Flags“ is an art project that explores the urban identity of České Budějovice, its culture, and its connection with nature, especially the rivers that flow through the city. It brings together art, nature, and urban life. Through individually illustrated flags, Sophie aims to tell visual stories that capture the beautiful and joyful details of this environment and the lives of its inhabitants. Originally, she planned to paint and print on the flags, but in the end, she chose the technique of sewing and appliqué.
City flags are more than just decorative elements, they are an expression of a city‘s history, culture and identity, they foster pride in their heritage and strengthen ties to the local community. Each of the flags will depict individual scenes, inspired by an artist residency stay and dialogue with the residents, from the current life in České Budejovice. This dialogue creates individual stories that reflect the diversity and uniqueness of the community. Inspired by comic panels, the illustrations will form graphic narratives. These illustrated flags are placed at different points in the city, for example in the parkson the banks of the rivers or in the streets.
Through this narrative, different perspectives and stories of the city and its surroundings will be explored, helping viewers to question their usual way of seeing and discover new perspectives. The project aims to encourage the local community and visitors to pause, pay attention and experience the city and its nature from a different perspective, taking a closer look at the city and its surroundings, (re)discovering the beauty and hidden details. The combination of illustration and comic elements is intended to create a new kind of interaction between art and urban space. This will give viewers the opportunity to engage with the different perspectives and stories associated with each location.The artworks can be perceived as a narrative platform. The target group of this project are the residents of Ceské Budejovice, the visitors and tourists to the town, children and families (especially through the illustrative and narrative comic elements), people interested in art and culture.
The flags are made of robust fabric. They are placed in strategic locations in the city – in parks, along rivers and in other public places.