+comunity+ ALERT FOR METELKOVA

[ursprung at mur.at]

ALERT FOR METELKOVA

This Wednesday, June 14th 2006, at 6 in the morning the government
Inspectorate for the Environment and Spatial Planning brought an excavating
machine to the Autonomous Cultural Zone Metelkova, Ljubljana, to tear down
one of the buildings of the converted ancient army barracks which they
consider to have been erected illegally. The cultural workers and supporters
of Metelkova prevented the action. This attempt to destroy one of the
liveliest cultural and intellectual locations in Ljubljana was the third one
in the past few months. Various inspections have recently intensified their
interventions during cultural events at Metelkova.

The government of Slovenia is acting in accordance with a recently passed
law on catering industries. Under the cover of its strict provisions
regulating commercial activities, which cannot be fulfilled by the
non-profit associations and NGOs of Metelkova, the executive might as well
put an end to the largest agglomeration of alternative cultures in the
country.

Metelkova provides 40% of the non-commercial music events in the city. Its
attendance can favourably be compared with that of the established Ljubljana
Festival. It is the second largest provider of cultural events in Ljubljana.
Metelkova is the only location in the city, and one of the few in the
country, where youth cultures and alternative cultures are systematically
produced and presented to a large and active audience. It is also a forum of
impressive intellectual irradiation. During each academic year, it organises
the Workers' Punkers' University where the most urgent dilemmas of the
contemporary world are discussed by competent international speakers.
Metelkova recently hosted the annual meeting of TransEuropeHalles. During
the 13 years of its existence, projects at the Autonomous Cultural Zone
Metelkova have been supported by the Ministry of Culture and by the City of
Ljubljana, as well as by many international sponsors.

Producers from Metelkova have been participating to Documenta, Manifesta,
Sao Paolo Biennial, Venice Biennale, Wiener Festwochen? Many international
festivals held in Ljubljana locate part of their activities at Metelkova:
The City of Women, The Other Music, Jazz Festival Ljubljana, Trnfest?
Metelkova has been presented as an outstanding phenomenon by international
media: ARD, Arte, BBC, Belarus' State TV, Die Zeit, Falter, Feral Tribune,
Los Angeles Times, ORF, Russian State TV, Seattle Times, ZDF?

Metelkova is a squat initiated in 1993, when a group of alternative
producers and activists occupied the ancient barracks of the army
headquarters near the centre of Ljubljana in order to prevent its illegal
destruction, which was launched by still unknown agents presumably led by
speculative real-estate interest. Although it has never succeeded in
achieving a proper legal status, the location was registered as national
cultural heritage in 2005.

ACZ Metelkova is under attack. Its people are ready to defend it. They need
support. Please circulate this information. If you want to express your
support, please write to the Prime Minister:

Janez.Jansa at gov.si

And to the Minister of Culture:

vasko.simoniti at gov.si


For supporters of Metelkova:


Wasim Alkhatib, Miha Bla?i?, Maja Breznik, Katarina Deskovi?, Narcisa
Deskovi?, Sabina Dogi?, ?ana Fabjan, Damjan Kocjan?i?, Nina Kozinc, Andrej
Kurnik, Jadranka Ljubi?i?, Iztok Markoja, Jurij Markoja, Rastko Mo?nik,
Marion Murlan, Sabina Schwenner, Andrej Sev?ek, Darij Zadnikar




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