aqb is an independent art centre in Budapest, Hungary. It was initiated in 2012 and it functions as an exhibition place for contemporary art, a studio house and an artist-in-residence program in an unique renovated factory building, the former Haggenmacher brewery. Numerous Hungarian visual artists and creative enterprises found their constant base in the building complex. aqb runs an international residency program, provides space for an experimental sound studio and organizes exhibitions in it’s non-profit Gallery called Project Space. aqb became a cultural melting pot of an international creative community with a wide variety of artists from music, applied arts, dance and visual art scene. Focusing on our audience development we are organising art events and cultural programs for the local community and also creating international networks at the same time.
We want to give a sign about the possibility how creative imagination is capable of causing changes, educate the audience, strengthen the local connections and international cooperation, exchanges and subcultural activities. We like to connect the visual arts as our main field of activity with some sister-arts programs by creating tradition in the field of open studios and art festivals.
History
Henrik Haggenmacher Sr. a prominent Hungarian industrialist born in Switzerland, bought the Frohner family’s brewery in 1867. In keeping up with demand, by 1875 the Haggenmacher brewery had already grown to be second largest producer in Hungary, after Antal Dreher’s brewery in Kőbánya.
World War I heavily affected the Hungarian industry, and a merge between the three largest breweries took place in 1933, combining the Dreher brewery, Haggenmacher brewery and the First Hungarian Stock-limited brewery. Within years, production was centralized at the Stock-limited Brewery in Kőbánya, and the Haggenmacher premises became a storage facility.
Haggenmacher Courtyard Ltd. acquired parts of the run-down brewery and its buildings in 2004 and began the real-estate development with the rehabilitation of the factory premises and step-by-step restoration of one of the main buildings.
This led to the birth of the international contemporary art center named art quarter budapest (aqb) that organizes and gives place to numerous events, art programs, concerts and exhibitions.
Our Team
Bartesch Wolfgang
owner and founder of art quarter budapest
Kukla Krisztián
art director
Lőrinc Lilla
program manager, venue booking
Somos Kató
Artist-in-Residence coordinator
Illinger Éva
accountancy and finances
Borsos János
graphic design
Janky Máté
web design / web development
Partners
