Lana Peternel and Nikolina Hazdovac Bajić carried out an ethnographic research in Ljubljana within the CSF/SRA project ‘ISOLATION’

As part of the Slovenian-Croatian bilateral project of the Slovenian Research Agency (SRA) and the Croatian Science Foundation (CSF) “Isolated People and Communities in Slovenia and Croatia – ISOLATION” (IPS 2022-02-3741)” from 3 to 7 July 2023 Lana Peternel and Nikolina Hazdovac Bajić carried out an ethnographic research in abandoned spaces in the urban zone of Ljubljana.

Since the characteristics of empty and abandoned spaces of urban zones vary in various regions and countries, those in Ljubljana are also a specific part of its identity.

Lana and Nikolina, together with the Slovenian colleagues Dan Podjed (Slovenian Academy of Science and Arts - Institute of Slovenian Ethnology) and Sandi Abram (Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana) documented once abandoned and empty zones, such as underpasses, which are nowadays street art exhibition spaces, fair-trade shops, warehouses, meeting points, craft workshops, etc. Positioned in the very city centre, once abandoned spaces of the Ljubljana urban zone are the places of creative expression of not only the city residents, but indeed of all those who consider Ljubljana their home.