The users of Rog have suggested to the mayor of Ljubljana that instead of investing EUR 15m, MOL should renovate the complex with a tenth of this amount, so that the buildings are safe, and invest the rest of the money to some other project. The users are willing to sacrifice comfort for being able to perform art free from calls for applications and public tenders Foto: BoBo
The users of Rog have suggested to the mayor of Ljubljana that instead of investing EUR 15m, MOL should renovate the complex with a tenth of this amount, so that the buildings are safe, and invest the rest of the money to some other project. The users are willing to sacrifice comfort for being able to perform art free from calls for applications and public tenders Foto: BoBo

The horn is also depicted on New Year’s cards sent in the territory of Slovenia at the turn of the nineteenth century. Typical motifs reflected the spirit of the era, frequently mocking bourgeois greed and their pursuit of material wealth.

Ten years ago, former facilities of the bicycle-making factory called Rog, situated in the centre of Ljubljana, were occupied through a civil initiative. At the time, the premises had already been abandoned for ten years, which is why the initiative came up with an idea to how to bring abandoned buildings to good, albeit temporary, use. The Rog complex, which includes the factory as well as accompanying buildings, now hosts 15 collectives and many autonomous artists, who have filled empty spaces with culture, art, social activism as well as social events. Some would call this a horn of wealth.

However, the City Municipality of Ljubljana (MOL) has other plans. Through a private / public partnership, MOL intended to renovate the main factory building, build an underground garage as well as a complex consisting of a hotel, flats and a large exhibit hall. After the investor had withdrawn his cooperation, the plan is now limited to the factory, the garage as well as designing a park. MOL has already symbolically turned the territory of Rog into a construction site by bringing in an excavator. Despite strong opposition from Rog’s current users, the municipality insists that five buildings are to be demolished by the end of this year, and that renovation would begin in about a year, although not to the extent initially planned.

Once the main factory building is renovated, it is supposed to become the Centre of Modern Arts – Rog, a place for creative industries and visual arts. Demolishing the accompanying premises is planned to begin on 14 June, yet the municipality still does not have the necessary funds for the project. However, its October’s budget allegedly contains reservations worth EUR 15m for the renovation of the factory. Since protesters had already blocked entry onto the premises, MOL also turned to the court for help by filing a proposal for an interim measure aimed at protecting the property, but will delay the start of the demolishment until the court ruling.