beginning: 2003
end: 2005


Weakened power of the state as a result of global and local changes left a spatial print in the form of ever 'more opened' planning and building processes. The lack of a clear strategy of the urban development resulted in a great number of abandoned premises with unsolved ownership status or the remains of urban fiber of undefined use purpose. The project “Invisible Zagreb” sees in such premises the creativity zones in which it is possible to experiment with new types of temporary public spaces used for various cultural activities. By establishing a network of such spaces, a spatial infrastructure to be used by all producers of culture was implemented.

Invisible Zagreb The empty Movie Theatre Lika — The conference 'GROUP DYNAMICS' Platform9.81

MOVIE THEATRE LIKA — The conference 'GROUP DYNAMICS'
The movie theatre Lika, which will be turned into the Zagreb Dance Center, after losing its function, was temporarily used by non-institutional culture producers. In collaboration with the Center for Dramatic Art, association WHW and Platform 9,81 organized a 3-day international and interdisciplinary conference of the Group Dynamics in the movie theatre Lika. The conference discussed the phenomenon of art groups and various aspects of collective work and collectivity. The conference is the result of active cooperation of the cultural non-institutional scene which represents the most active culture producers in the city by selecting the socially relevant themes that deal with the contemporary culture scene and by using the interdisciplinary work methods. The main features of this new culture scene in relation to the institutions are the dynamics of cultural production, new ways of management and production (horizontal hierarchy, fluctuation of members, self-improvement), cooperation with similar role players on global level, new audience, social activism, tendency to experiment. Their organizational principles, production conditions, extremely reflexive cultural practices (most projects were established during the collaboration, themes are socially engaged), innovative merger of programs served as a model to examine new ways of cultural production in the project Invisible Zagreb. Since most of these new cultural producers do not have enough space available, they are still rather unknown to the broader public; by using the spatial and organizational infrastructure of the Invisible Zagreb they are becoming the visible participants who have a vision of the cultural and urban development of the city.

Invisible Zagreb Slaughter-house (Heinzlova street) — 'Groodanje', a concert of electronic music held at the old slaughter-house. Platform9.81

SLAUGHTER-HOUSE (HEINZLOVA street) — 'GROODANJE'
The premises of the old slaughter-house in Heinzelova street, owned by the City, after losing their primary function has been partly used by renting out the premises to private companies for minor production facilities and warehouses. Platform 9,81 organized the lecture of the Amsterdam group Stealth 'Wild City' in these premises, 2-day event 'The Asphalt Jungle' (co-produced with the association BLOK) and the concert of electric music Groodanje. Most of the premises of Invisible Zagreb which were 'activated by events' are owned by the city of Zagreb and the permit for their usage was obtained. Since it is impossible to imagine the culture planning and development without planning and management of spatial resources of the city, this project developed intensive co-operation with the City Authorities for Culture and Planning. In this way the city becomes a partner to anyone who has a vision of creating culture in some of its parts. Using the bottom-up strategy and different ways of influencing the public, the project asks the 'right to the city' and discusses the involvement of citizens in public life. The new type of urban practice in which the process of urban transformation is navigated instead of planned using the methods of reprogramming, temporary taking over, initiating events shows that it is possible to re-think and use the city in the creative way.

Red Empty Light installation within decaying historic Badel factory building in Zagreb. Created in association with Platform9.81 and Gallery Miroslav Kraljević. Carl Michael von Hausswolff

The Badel factory — CARL MICHAEL VON HAUSSWOLFF 'Red Empty'
The factory facilities for the production of liqueur Arko / later Badel, though they were protected as the monument of industrial architecture, without financial means and clear vision of usage, are left to decay. In cooperation with the Gallery ‘Miroslav Kraljević’, Platform 9,81 'activated' the factory space with the lightning installation 'Red Empty' by Carl Michael von Hausswolff. Without its primary function and forgotten by the urban policies, the empty spaces in the project become ‘visible’ and draw our attention to the potential of deserted city area, open up the ownership issues outlining the political games and kick-backs as well as the issues of the cultural heritage status, which it cannot prevent from decaying, but can prevent its demolition. Temporary use of these premises in different culture programs can bridge the emptiness in the transitional process and stimulate visions of development in relation to the particularity of each location. The culture acts as catalyst of change of the used spaces in the dynamic urban zones.

Invisible Zagreb Lawn in front of the National University Library — Presentation of the Book 'Imperij'. Platform9.81

Lawn in front of the National University Library — Presentation of the book 'IMPERIJ'
The lawn in front of National University Library is occasionally used for sports’ activities and recreation of the inhabitants of the surrounding neighborhoods. The presentation of the book 'Imperij' issued by the Multimedia Institute mi2 was organized on the green ‘island’ surrounded by traffic lanes. Though typologically different; industrial facilities, cultural premises, office spaces, infrastructure facilities, movie theatres, military facilities, all spaces of the Invisible Zagreb have one thing in common: their uncoded status. Undefined practice of their usage (or the complete lack of it) produces a sense of freedom in the user and encourages creating and imposing of own spatial practice. In this way these spaces can animate collective intelligence and creative co-operation resulting in cultural product.

In the times of commercialization and privatization of public space, it is necessary to provide a new the practice of collective space. Invisible Zagreb points out the importance of social interaction in physical premises. Physical public space is still a key location of social interaction in which direct experience produces social reflexives.

PLATFORMA 9,81 was created in 1999 as a reaction to the inability of the architectural scene to establish an interdisciplinary and open dialogue within the scene and externally in regard to the problems of urban space culture, digitalization of the environment, influences of globalization to the perception of space and the needs of new educational methods in architecture today. Our projects have a profoundly public quality and regularly draw together a large number of people from different domains of life. Our relation to architecture and urban planning is marked by an informal approach, non-institutional strategies of action, tendency towards research and away from habitual practice.

Platforma 9.81 (HR)
Collective for architecture and media, based in Zagreb, Croatia.