December 6, 2017
Tovarna Rog, the former bicycle factory in central Ljubljana that since 2006 has been “an autonomous social and cultural centre,” with spaces for artists, performances, parties, and skating, is now the centre of a struggle over it’s future. On one side are the current users, who want it to gain the kind of status and support enjoyed by Metelkova, and on the other the Municipality of Ljubljana, which has an ambitious plan to redevelop the space, as outlined in the following video it posted on its website last week (in Slovene, but with self-explanatory images).
The long-simmering issue of redevelopment came to a head in June 2016, with the Municipality ordering the current occupants of Rog to vacate the premises and return them to public ownership. While the Ljubljana Circuit Court ruled in favour of the Municipality, the case is still tied up in appeals, and the any further action by the authorities will have to wait until these are resolved, which will be in early 2018 at the soonest. The move is seen as linked to other efforts by the city to reclaim spaces that have fallen into indeterminate ownership, such as the upper floors of Kersnikova 4, perhaps best known for having Klub K4 in its basement.
A video about Rog in English, made by supporters of it’s current status, can be seen below.
