Park Fiction in Zagreb

BLOK: "Mikropolitics (series of lectures and presentations)


The erasure of differences between activism, artistic and political action, in fact the broadening of each of those categories is one of the basic characteristics of the new age. The classical notion of artist as someone who separates from society in order to create and in certain way to represent the society, and comes back with the finished work that he offers to the public – is no longer valid. The art has to take place in the new social structure. According to that it is necessary to rethink the role of the artist, curator, but also observer, one that more and more takes his role of an active participant in the creation process – audience is therefore responsible for realization of the artwork, and the production and consumption of the art are necessary becoming a social act.

The series of lectures and presentations entitled ‘Mikropolitics’ aims to present artworks (in this context maybe it is more appropriate to talk about ACTION) in the community. It includes long-term projects, oriented towards process and not towards closed product, the projects that are experimenting, affirming and realizing new models of cultural production. Finally, it is about projects that are not to ‘enclose’ by one single view, whose reception demands involvement, active participation.


In the climate of representative, manifest culture, with increasing number of festivals that represent and support market oriented artworks and specific artistic disciplines, it is essential to appropriate space for presentation of such works that are result of non-specialist approach, combination and collaboration of different practices and knowledge, independent of hierarchies and first and above all result of participation of local community. The program aims to inform about such practices in the context of weak support to artistic action that isn’t belonging to dominant specialist currents or genres. At the same time the program will educate active participants and introduce new terms, rethink the position of art, question of public and contribute to research of wider context of artistic actions in public spaces. Locally such artistic practices are rather excesses; therefore it is crucial to work upon creating and maintaining of continuity of artistic actions in social context.


Program will be realized in the rhythm of monthly lectures and presentations by guest artists and curators. At the end we are planning to publish a publication (reader or DVD – depends on budget) that will gather transcripts of lectures, essays and documentation of projects and will serve as educational material."

"Mitte der 90er Jahre entschieden sich Anwohner und Künstler aus Hamburg-St. Pauli, anstelle eines von der Stadtverwaltung geplanten Bürogebäudes einen öffentlichen Park am Elbufer zu entwerfen. In einem Planungsprozess wurden Ideen aus dem Viertel gesammelt, diskutiert, überarbeitet und bis zur Baubarkeit entwickelt. Dieser Prozess machte das Projekt „Park Fiction“ noch vor seiner Verwirklichung im August 2005 bekannt und führte zu Ausstellungen u.a. auf der Documenta 11 in Kassel.

Christoph Schäfer und Margit Czenki werden das Projekt „Park Fiction“ vorstellen und dessen zentrale Idee – die Aneigung der Stadt durch ihre Bewohner – diskutieren. Dabei wird im Sinne des Projekts gearbeitet: Vortrag und Film (Margit Czenki: „Park Fiction – die Wünsche werden die Wohnung verlassen und auf die Strasse gehen“, 1999/60 Min.) werden in einem dafür unüblichen Raum mit Kochen, Essen, Gespräch verbunden."



Bild oben: Margit Czenki und Vesna Vukovic in der Badel Fabrik.

Bild unten: Protest-Schild in der Badel Likör Fabrik, aus der Zeit der Schließung der Fabrik, Anfang der Neunziger Jahre. "KAPITAL TREBA DATI ONIMA KOJI SU GA STVARALI"