PROSTOROŽ09_ STREET (installation)

Slomškova street

ProstoRož is a collective of female architects, which has been performing creative and well-considered interventions in the public urban environment ever since 2004. Their installations remind passersby of the forgotten silhouettes of the city and of the hidden spaces, which they failed to notice when walking by. The collective is known for inhabiting spaces of this sort with unusual objects, which open an endless horizon of opportunities.

The ProstoRož09_street project will focus its attention on Slomškova Street, which constitutes the central cultural axis within the Ljubljana city quarter called Tabor. Several cultural institutions are located either within its line or in its immediate distance – the Slovene Ethnographic Museum, the Ministry of Culture and Metelkova City, as well as Stara mestna elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana, Kinodvor, Kinoteka and many others. Despite the listed institutions and, moreover, the excellent location they inhabit, the image of this city quarter fails to express its cultural character. The reason for this may be the lack of public space next to the street, since the pavements are short and the street is filled with parked cars in both directions and there is no public program in the ground floors. The architects will make use of the festival period to expand the public space of Slomškova Street by pushing its limits over the parking spaces. Ten chosen parking spaces will thus be transformed into spaces of leisure, intended for recreation, play, and interesting cultural, as well as educational, events.

The ProstoRož09_street project aims at involving the biggest possible amount of local inhabitants, workers, passers, visitors and participants of the Mladi levi Festival. You are kindly invited!

Activities at the ProstoRož09_street:

1. FAIRYTALE PLAYGROUND
Visit the fairytale house, which will provide the setting for children to create furniture on the opening day of the Festival, and can be seen in the following days as well. It may be used as a reading corner or a playground for children and grownups to spend pleasant some time in.

• Smetumet – Worskhop

What does a little house have to be like in order to lure random visitors to be playful, creative and curious? Taking sparkling children’s ideas as our guide, we will furnish a children’s room and look for inspiration amongst ordinary trash, which – without knowing so – we throw into our garbage bins on a daily basis. Everybody is invited to bring their own cleaned up garbage as well!
Cultural Ecological Society Smetumet
Mentors: Urša Štrukelj, Maja Rijavec, Maja Modrijan

2. BREAKFAST SHOP
Breakfast may become a unique summer pleasure during the festival time thanks to the Juicebox staff, which will serve delicious coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice, served together with a croissant. You will have the opportunity to taste juicy beverages and crunchy deserts every day during the festival while having an interesting conversation.

3. VEGETABLE KITCHEN
The shelves of the street kitchen will bend under the plenitude of the fruits of nature, which were planted, picked and prepared by the producers of the Union of Slovenian Organic Farmers Association BIODAR. Bon appétit!

4. CHESS LAUNDRY
The inquisitive spirits of the Železničar Chess Society will have their eyes set on the chessboards that are set up under the treetops. Take a look and have a game or two yourself.

5. GARDEN PARK
The garden park, filled with various vegetables, will provide the setting for a session of organic alternative gardening with sculptor Boštjan Kavčič. Standing exercises will be performed every day in the grove of the garden park, courtesy of the experienced members of the Društvo joga v vsakdanjem življenju. You may find a sitting spot in the garden park as well — lean back and enjoy surfing the net!

6. TABLE TENNIS
Catch the ball and pass it on to your partner in a skilful manner. You may also decide to celebrate your winning moves by singing a tune you heard during a performance the previous night.

7. LIVING ROOM
You may enjoy a peaceful rest in the morning sun or evening dawn while carelessly dreaming about your past or future memories, full of expectations about what is yet to come. You may also, on the other hand, have a rest while reading newspaper or festival booklet. The experts from Elektro Ljubljana will be happy to provide you with all the answers about green energy, and also explain how much energy is used by your small and big household devices. Bring you own iron, vacuum cleaner or shaving machine and you may be surprised by the amount of energy they use. Blaž Lokar will present his concept of the new Slomškova street arrangement to those interested. Posters of the new arrangement will be exhibited for the entire week. Come around, inform us/yourself, give your opinion … Postcards will be available as well!

8. ADVERTISING BICYCLE SHOP
Simply place your bicycle into the frame, where it will wait for you until the end of the performance. Possible damages shouldn’t worry you – they will be fixed and done away with before you know it! In case some piece of furniture or an object on Slomškova Street catches your sight, you can stick a sheet of paper onto it and write down that you want to have it at the end of the project. We will be collecting other kind of requests as well – those wanting to give as well as those in search of something.

9. PÉTANQUE
A day with friends can become even more beautiful when you spend it competing over who’ll be better in throwing the cochonnet and pétanque balls. A contest of this sort provides the perfect opportunity for strengthening the body and mind. It will be held by the Pétanque team Medvedi from BŠD Fužine. You are kindly invited to play the game with national pétanque champion, Laura Bračič! Applicants for lessons and contest, please call 031 516 281.

10. SLEEPING BEACH
Children can use their imagination and play in the sandbox on the city beach while parents, grandmas and grandpas sit and enjoy being a part of a careless creative process of bringing sand sculptures to life.

Concept: Maša Cvetko, Alenka Korenjak – ProstoRož
Execution: Suzana Kajba
Project was made possible by:
Mestna občina Ljubljana, Oddelek za gospodarske dejavnosti in promet
Ministrstvo za kulturo
KPL d. d.
Javno podjetje Ljubljanska parkirišča in tržnice d.o.o.
Snaga Javno podjetje d. o. o
Prosoft Consulting d. o. o.
Frizer Jernej Munh
Activities performed by:
Elektro Ljubljana
Boštjan Kavčič
Kulturno-ekološko društvo Smetumet
Društvo joga v vsakdanjem življenju
Šahovsko društvo Železničar
člani Zveze združenj ekoloških kmetov Slovenije BIODAR
Petankarska ekipa Medvedi iz BŠD Fužine
Juicebox
Blaž Lokar
Pekarna Dobrot
Okrepčevalnica

Program

22 August
3 pm OPENING
3 pm – 6 pm Smetumet workshop at the fairytale playground
3 pm – 7 pm organic food sales in the veggie kitchen
5 pm – 6 pm yoga in everyday life
5 pm – 7 pm chess tournament

23 August
10 am – 1 pm breakfast at the breakfast shop
5 pm – 6 pm yoga in everyday life

24 August
10 am – 1 pm breakfast at the breakfast shop
1 pm presentation on Green energy in the living room
5 pm – 6 pm yoga in everyday life
6 pm – 8 pm pétanque contest

25 August
10 am – 1 pm breakfast at the breakfast shop
5 pm – 6 pm organic session in the garden park
5 pm – 7 pm chess tournament
6 pm – 7 pm yoga in everyday life

26 August
10 am – 1 pm breakfast at the breakfast shop
5 pm – 6 pm yoga in everyday life

27 August
10 am – 1 pm breakfast at the breakfast shop
1 pm presentation on Green energy
5 pm – 6 pm organic session in the garden park
6 pm – 7 pm yoga in everyday life
6 pm – 8 pm pétanque contest

28 August
10 am – 1 pm breakfast at the breakfast shop
5 pm – 6 pm yoga in everyday life
5 pm – 7 pm chess tournament

29 August
9 am – 10 pm conversation with Blaž Lokar on the street space arrangement
10 am – 1 pm breakfast at the breakfast shop
5 pm – 6 pm yoga in everyday life
6 pm – 8 pm pétanque contest

Photos