Curator: Sixtine Rose Boyer
Production: SCCA-Ljubljana, 2012
Duration: 4 54′ 48″
Text: Sixtine Rose Boyer

For 19th Anniversary of ACC Metelkova City a hosting curator at SCCA-Ljubljana Sixtine Rose Boyer prepared a video program about the alternative art scene, Metelkova and its forerunners, predominently, the role of groups like FV, Borghesia and Laibach. The selection is chronologically presented in order to show the evolution of the alternative scene through video and music as Medias, but also to reveal the important role of some names such as Neven Korda, Zemira Alabegović and the band Laibach who appear to be a thread from the beginning until the end of the selection.

The video program was first screened on September 8, 2012, on three windows in front of Pešaki building in ACC Metelkova City, Ljubljana.

Marijan Osole – Max, Morte ai sciavi, 16′ 28”
ŠKD Forum, Škuc, 1983

On the crossroad between documentary and experimental, this video is showing images from early Laibach concerts shot between 1982 and 1983. It gathers several freeze frames and found footages of typical Laibach aesthetics such as looping close ups on porno, tools and machines sequences as well as concerts, preferring low angle shot of the members in a low quality video. It must be considered as an important turning point in the evolution of the alternative scene in Ljubljana. The particularity of the video is that it shows images of the original members of the band in the first moments of the controversy of their discourse in the early eighties.

FV Video, FV Disco, 42′ 27”
FV Video / Škuc – Forum, 1983

From the basement of the Dom IV in the Student dormitories, to the opening of their own Disco, the FV Group reflects the emergence of the hyper productive alternative youth of Slovenia. This document simply reveals the main events that took place in the Disco FV in the early eighties. Famous bands such as O!Kult, Grč, Titanic, Gastarbajter’s, Marcus 5, Borghesia, Otroci socializma, Čao pičke, appear in the video. Also the film reveals the backstage organization and several found footages of their own video projections through years in a repeated rhythm.

ZANK (Zemira Alajbegović in Neven Korda), The Old and the New, 66′
V.S. Video/Forum Ljubljana, VPK & TV Slovenija, Ljubljana 1997

This compilation of videos by the duo of artists ZANK illustrates the alternative and subculture scenes in Ljubljana in the eighties. The videos were shot between 1982 and 1988 in Skuc Gallery and underground clubs, showing famous bands such as O!Kult during concerts, some video clips extracts, multi-media, theatre performances, mixed with images dealing with the emergence of first gays and women/Lilith club. The video explicitly and repeatedly deals with the social changes in the regime during the eighties.

ZANK (Zemira Alajbegović, Neven Korda), Kersnikova 4, 18′ 40”
FV Video / Škuc – Forum, 1984

Once Disco FV was shut down the collective moved to Kersnikova ulica 4 in Ljubljana, to create the “Bodoči mladinski center” (A Future Youth Centre) soon renamed K4. This documentary video deals with the situation of the FV Group and the fight to get established at Kersnikova 4. At the crossroad between documentary and experimental practices, the video compiles several found footages films and public discourses. It must be considered as an important turning point in the evolution of the alternative scene in Ljubljana.

ZANK (Zemira Alajbegović, Neven Korda), In Search of Lost Time, 25′ 40”
FV Video / Škuc – Forum, 1985

This compilation of videos made again by ZANK presents the Hard-Core scene in Ljubljana through bands such as Tožibabe and III.Kategorija. The video starts with a panel of several flyers, and the image of a statue dressed in a studded leather jacket symbolizing the Punk and Hard Core scene in the eighties. It then reveals coloured images from concerts and pogo sessions in underground places in authentic alternative style of shooting, including close ups on people and leather jackets especially focusing on bands badges, unsteady repeatedly panoramic views of the concert crowds accompanying the music, series of black and white photographs. Last but not least, this video was the second musical video compilation to be produced by FV Video. This concept of video compilation taping available to the public such as audio tapes was something new and specific from former Yugoslavia. This concept exploded thanks to possibility of provision of video equipment to the general public.

Zemira Alajbegović, ŠKUC – R.O.P.O.T., 45′ 50”
Brut film, FV Video / Škuc – Forum, 1988

This compilation gathers 45 minutes of concerts and interviews of international bands such as Swans, Cassandra Complex, Poison Girls, U.K.Subs, Misty in Roots, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, G.B.H. and finally Laibach. Established in the early eighties, ŠKUC – Ropot was the music section of ŠKUC. It was the main concerts organizer in Ljubljana, and former Yugoslavia until the nineties for local and international bands as seen in the video. Alternating bands of recorded concerts and interviews with bands, the method used consists in saturated colours keying and recurrent zooming, freeze frame, overlaying video shots as transition between different sequences. At the beginning of the video, an interesting interview from the members of Cassandra Complex on new musical production practices, including keyboards and computers apparition in the late eighties. Later, an interview with the front girl of Poison girls on the fate and planned obsolescence bands carrying socio-political messages, especially British women’s bands.

ZANK (Zemira Alajbegović, Neven Korda, Borghesia), The Triumph of Desire, 61′ 24”
Brut, VS Video / Forum, E-motion film, TV Slovenija & PIAS, Ljubljana, 1989

This video is a one hour long compilation of Borghesia video clips following as: Document, G.U.M., Poppers, Futurists, No Hope No Fear, Discipline, Mud, She, Venceremos. Four years after the first video cassette So Young (Tako mladi) issued by the FV Editions, ZANK with the video production and Borghesia with the music production go on developing their favourite iconography through much more elaborated technique.

Rok Sieberer Kuri, Metelkova City I, II, 68′ 02”
Media Teror, 1996-98

Metelkova mesto was first conceived as a cultural centre in 1990 when the Metelkova Network was formed and over 200 people and organizations had the idea to create a culture friendly neighbourhood from the former army district. In 1991, after the ten days of war the Network for Metelkova officially asked the new government for right to occupy the place. The city of Ljubljana responded by the destruction of the non-maintained buildings. On September 10th, 1993 the network started to squat the place setting up artistic and cultural events. Those two documentary video gather precious images starting by the official opening of Metelkova mesto by the city major Vida Potočnik, but also random videos of cultural events such as the graffiti exhibition and fashion show in Channel Zero, theatre performances in Gromka, concerts, as well as interviews of Metelkova actors and artists, including video projection and interviews of artists such as Marko Kovačič present in this video selection.

Marko A. Kovačič, I’ve Seen That…Like It Is (2227), 5′ 40”
V.S. Video & Strip Core, Forum, 1993

Two video clips of the band 2227 that was performing from 1985 to 1999 in Slovenia and abroad.
The video contains a projection of graffiti by the Strip Core group (formed in 1989) showing the aesthetic transition between the dark eighties and the more colourful nineties symbolized by the graffiti. The projection takes place at the background of the video, as well as the fore ground, on the front man’s face and body. One must note the presence of brighter colours, and more advanced techniques such as quicker and cleaner transitions and morphing.

Sašo Podgoršek, God Is God (Laibach), 3′ 41”
Mute Film London, 1996

As they opened it, Laibach is then closing the selection with the music video for their song God is
God, covered from the Goa band Juno Reactor. The video repeatedly deals with Laibach symbolism such as the recurrent appearance of their logo, a thick black cross which can be seen as a reference to Kazimir Malevitch. The members are going up the mountain where a huge sign is erected at top of the hill, revealing the cross of Laibach. The members are there, facing the cross while the front man stands as a priest against the dark alter.