history Background
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN...
AKC
Metelkova mesto (Metelkova City, Alternative Cultural Center) is an
artistic space in the heart of Ljubljana,
Slovenia,
formerly a republic of Yugoslavia. It is a non-residential squat for
artists
and activists. It pays no taxes, sells liquor without a license, and
has never
had any legal status within the city. Metelkova can therefore be
thought of as
its own city comprised of the subcultures of the surrounding
metropolis. The
complex consists of four buildings, which hold art studios, galleries,
music
venues, cafes, bars, and dance clubs. Two other buildings at the site,
Hostel
Celica and Metelkova 6, collaborate with Metelkova but have separate
legal
status. The Hostel Celica is legally owned and run by the Student
Organization
of the University of Ljubljana, while Metelkova 6 is owned by the
Ministry of
Culture and contains offices of various non-profit organizations.
There
has been a long and complicated history between the
city of Ljubljana and Metelkova. Unlike
the Eastern Bloc, Yugoslavia during the Communist era was open to
Western
influences and its citizens were free to travel to Western countries.
When punk spread throughout England and the U.S. in the late 1970s,
many in Yugoslavia
took to the
development of their own cultural scene. The punk scene in Yugoslavia
was well
received by mainstream media and flourished. By the time
Slovenia
declared its independence, punk and alternative culture were already
well woven
into the region. With the development of Metelkova, this culture found
a
home.
Following
the independence of Slovenia from Yugoslavia in
June of 1991, the Yugoslav People’s Army abandoned its head barracks on
Metelkova Street. The Network for Metelkova, which was established in
1990 in order to reconfigure social and artistic space. It
requested that Ljubljana permit the use of the former barracks as a
cultural center. The
Network was still
forming and in regular
negotiations with the city of Ljubljana when on September 10th, 1993,
the
government attempted to illegally demolish the buildings. In response,
about 200
people squatted the space and began holding concerts and artistic
exhibitions.
Throughout the fall of 1993, the center held around 200 musical and
artistic
events. The
subsequent public and media support
for the squatters helped foster its growth. However, this did not
dissuade the
government from attempting to demolish Metelkova. Successful attempts
occurred
in 1997, when the “Old School” was demolished, and in 2006 with the
destruction
of the “Small School.” Metelkova’s relationship with the government has
been an
ever-changing process as Ljubljana’s City Council members have come and
gone.
As of June 2009, Metelkova has a much-improved relationship with the
surrounding
authority. A constructive dialogue has developed and there have been
talks over
the last year about Metelkova becoming city-owned. This would allow
Metelkova
projects to attain more solid legal status, but some AKC activists fear
signing
a contract with the city would threaten the voluntaristic, experimental
orientation that has been a hallmark of Metelkova Mesto.
an uncertain future
the struggle over power...
With constant struggles throughout the community’s
history,
it is not surprising that Metelkova is facing an uncertain future. This
uncertainty is not based on maintaining the physical space; in fact,
many
people are certain that the physical community will continue to exist.
The
troubles come from the larger community of Ljubljana, where the city
government
has plans to legalize Metelkova by placing it under a contract,
possibly
changing the entire structure of the community. One member of the
Metelkova
community was able to articulate the irony, explaining that fighting
against
the more conservative government of the recent past was easier than
protecting
themselves from the liberals who, in their current support, may
drastically
change Metelkova.
This
situation and the compromises Metelkova may face are
similar to one art space’s struggle in the United States. The Charm
City Art
Space, located in Baltimore, Maryland, is a collective of
culturally-minded
community members. Although the space is far smaller, as well as
younger, it is
a well-established concert venue and alternative community space. For
several
years the CCAS has been struggling with achieving legal, nonprofit
status;
however, logistical factors such as handicap accessibility and the
necessity of
establishing power hierarchies that do not align with the original
structure of
the project have prevented the group from attaining institutionalized
legality.
While it continues to work towards this goal, the collective faces
rising
property costs, changing landlords, noise complaints, and vandalism. In addition, over-zealous
(and often
misguided) police activity, and the challenge of keeping the space drug
and
alcohol free in order to reduce these police incidents, pose continual
challenges. Deeming the space substance free also promotes the
straight-edge
lifestyle in which many of the members believe, making it a
socially-minded
decision, as well as one motivated by legal strategy. The members of
this group
also face constant struggles in maintaining an aging Baltimore house
with few
resources, financial and otherwise.
Through
its struggles, the Charm City Art Space has been
able to remain a solid force within the Baltimore music and arts
community.
This is possible because of several very dedicated long-term members
and local
connections that help to maintain the physical space. Local bands that
play at
the space do so for free, and touring bands receive enough money for
gas and
whatever the space can spare at the time. Members also pay small
monthly dues
to help with upkeep.
In
Metelkova, though recognition and support from the city
may seem to be the answer to a questionable future, it is possible that
it
would change the formation and the community. Without legal status,
Metelkova
is able to be maintained through a great amount of volunteer work,
minimal
hierarchies of power, and a concentrated community of support based on
appreciation of its social and political history.
Some are worried that if legal status is
gained, Metelkova could become a mainstream bar and concert venue,
catering to
large audiences in order to survive and remain financially viable; it
would
lose the qualities that make it an alternative community, and that make
it
Metelkova.
Currently,
many musicians, no matter the crowd draw, are
able to utilize one of Metelkova’s venues. If a contract is
implemented, the
music approval process may be forced into considering financial gains
in order
to pay taxes and fees. This change in structure may also mean a change
in the
machinery of Metelkova. While currently volunteers are welcome to come
and go,
a legalized Metalkova would mean creating jobs that have been
traditionally
volunteer, such as bartending and ticket-selling. These changes would
also lead
to hiring managers and redistributing power in a way that is not
currently
promoted by Metelkova’s formulation.
The
complexities in becoming legal are shared by cultural
organizations, across many societies. Although for many community arts
projects,
involvement with and support from government authorities seem to be a
great way
to protect and improve an arts community, the trade-offs could also
make spaces
like Metelkova and Charm City Art Space less able to fulfill crucial
cultural
and artistic roles.
“Metelkova city became a nightmare of the municipal authorities in Ljubljana, acquiring and never again shaking off the reputation of being dangerous, because it has never been under any (in)direct control of the structures of authority and capital, because it still is an autonomous field of urban, artistic, cultural, social, (sub)political public life and creative production.” - The Noise from Below
history of autonomous media in slovenia
religious, social, and cultural movements...
In the 1920s, Slovenes were not in the
best position. They
were facing ethnic discrimination in neighboring countries, and
religious and
linguistic persecution followed soon after. In 1923, teachers in
territory
controlled by Italy were given the task of religious education and
schools were
forbidden to teach or speak Slavic languages. The Slovenian dialect was
most
persistently defended by Catholic Slovenian priests who were revered as
cultural heroes and were later immortalized by organizations such as
TIGR
(acronym for Triste, Istria, Gorizia and Rijeka) who conducted
anti-Fascist
work.
In
the 1930s and 1940s, various groups circulated
independent publications in order to further their political
ideologies.
Communists, Catholics and socialists, among others, invested in their
own
versions of autonomous media in order to connect with fellow members
and
challenge dominant beliefs at the time. In 1940, communists, political
and
cultural representatives, students and TIGR members were arrested by
Italian
authorities for unlawful activity. When their personal spaces were
raided, an
illegal library, three printing presses and a radio station were
discovered.
For these and other offenses, 22 people were sentenced to death.
When
pressured by Yugoslavian forces to quell secular
beliefs, a religious periodical entitled Druzina came into circulation
in 1952.
An organization called The Press Commission suppressed numerous
magazines due
to inappropriate writings about cultural and social issues between 1951
and
1958. Radio Student was founded by college students in order to provide
musical
adventurousness, alternative points of view on social ideas, and
artistic
criticism, and has been broadcasting continuously since 1969. In 1982,
the
publication Nova revija debuted and, striving to uphold the traditions
of the
magazines squashed by TPC, attempted to give Slovenians a strong
political
foundation for the increasingly important democratization process after
Tito’s
death.
There are several other time periods that could be discussed that are out of the scope of this article. However, there seems to be a historical pattern of independent sources of information being used as forms of resistance against dominant forces in Slovenia, as well as these outlets being seen as threatening and dangerous. The recently departed conservative government assisted in the takeover of the anti-administration newspaper Delo, with serious consequences for its political coverage. Alternative sources of media and information remain important for Slovenia.
Sources:
- The Land Between: A History of Slovenia edited by Oto Luthar