<< 

2^nd International Festival of Young Artists - BREAK 21

Ljubljana [SLO]

04-10/05/1998

 

 

 

From the several locations offered to me for my project, I’ve choose the empty music record shop in the passage on the crossroad of Slovenska cesta and Tavcarjeva ulica in down town Ljubljana. The object was empty due to the very high rent, it seemed that cases like this are quite a problem all over Ljubljana. The organizer asked the landlord for permission for my project to be displayed there, but he denied it.

 

I’ve executed my project there anyway, but now, I’ve stacked the prints on the outside of the window. The prints are in fact simulation of signs advertising the goods, which is the usual way of advertising in Slovenian shops. The advertised products are typically Slovenian and the prices are real.

 

On the entrance door I’ve put the sign OTPRTO (OPEN), which is in contrast with the obviously empty and abandoned space. It is a kind of a rebellion against the attitude of the landlords. Because of all this I think that the project (different from the previous version – MINIMARKET) got a new contest, much more sight specific and socially engaged towards some processes in the new goods accumulating society.

 

The second location were I’ve executed the project was an “EK – Market Ltd.” grocery shop at Vidovdanska street 9, temporary closed for renovation. I’ve stacked the same signs, printed on colored papers on a window display of this shop.

 

It was right across the hotel “Park” were I was staying, so, from the window of my room I had a good view of the shop, and with my camera I was catching the customers who read the signs, some of them even try to enter. I’ve thought that I was manipulating my audience, but gradually I’ve become involved myself, becoming very aggravated when they would ignore my work and ecstatic when they would pay me a little attention. Thus, they – my potential audience was manipulating me too.

 

The next days I found out that some of the signs are missing. On some of them it was added in writing some personal names, vulgarities and other massages.

 

 

 

* d.o.o. - Slovenian abbreviation for Limited Liability Company - Ltd.. The Slovenian word for company - druzba, also means society. The first o (ø in the title) stands for limited.