The Rijeka 2020 – European Capital of Culture Kitchen flagship invites citizens of Rijeka and their guests to socialise as part of the Rijeka Liberation Day celebration on 3 May at RiHub and Palach.
The aim of the Free Rijeka programme is to commemorate the day of remembrance of all the victims of fascist terror with decorum, so that the spirit of anti-fascism can be passed onto the younger generations and remain in the collective memory. The idea is to raise awareness in the public of anti-fascist values and the people who gave their lives for a free Croatia via culture, art, student activism, local organisation programmes, the underground scene and the “Working-Class Food for the Civic Palate” initiative of cooking free meals for the community. Today, anti-fascism is no longer viewed as just an old struggle, but as a new and uniting strength. The Battle of Rijeka was one of the most difficult and complex campaigns in the final stages of WWII and Liberation Day is celebrated in order to commemorate 3 May 1945 as the day Rijeka was finally liberated.
We will be singing anti-fascist songs with local and regional choirs of all ages in Palach, while food will be provided by the Antifa Kitchen. Before the festivities in Palach, RiHub will host an exhibition of radical magazines and fanzines from Giovanni Morbin’s collection, as well as a talk with the editors and journalists from erstwhile and current cult youth and independent media (Arkzin, Val, Zin Zin, Slobodni Filozofski).
The Kitchen will join the City of Rijeka and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar League of Anti-Fascist Fighters in commemorating 3 May – Rijeka Liberation Day with the Free Rijeka programme.
Schedule of events
RiHub
4 pm – 5:30 pm
Panel discussion on youth and independent publishing: Anti-fascism then and now
6 pm – 7 pm
Opening of the anarcho-communist and situationist fanzine exhibition from Giovanni Morbin’s collection
Palach
7:30 pm – 10 pm
Partisan and anti-fascist song concert + cooking for the community
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME:
Panel discussion on youth and independent publishing: Anti-fascism then and now
The topic of this international panel discussion is young people and the independent publishing of traditional, alternative and new media and anti-fascism – the fundamental international value of united Europe. The topic will be discussed by Edi Jurković – the former Culture Editor of the Rijeka youth paper Val (“Wave”) and the Zagreb youth paper Polet (“Ardour”) and the founder of the Centre for Education and Culture Appointees’ youth paper Kult; Dejan Kršić – Editor and Designer of the cult magazine Arkzin; Italian visual artist Giovanni Morbin – researcher and collector of alternative publications and fanzines; Bruno Butorac – fanzine editor and designer and one of the managers of the Zin Zin library; Karolina Hrga – Editor-in-Chief of the Slobodni Filozofski portal and contributor to several electronic and printed publications. The panel discussion will be moderated by Hajrudin Hromadžić, Associate Professor at the Department of Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka, who is an expert on cultural and media studies, critical theories of society and theoretical sociology.
Opening of the anarcho-communist and situationist fanzine exhibition from Giovanni Morbin’s collection
The importance of magazines and fanzines is always reflected in the correspondence and distance between published ideas and their concepts. The publishing realities displayed here are an assumption of responsibility and courage in validating content that is, at best, ignored by mainstream publishers. The publications that have found a place in this exhibition project often showcase niche initiatives that used to or still function as a bullhorn for emergencies to the younger generations of our societies. In most cases, the presented publications serve as a brilliant testament to the most original editorial concepts, bold layouts and burning content. Basically, they represent what a civic and content society is least comfortable facing.
Partisan and anti-fascist song concert
The Free Rijeka event will be rounded off in Palach, where local and regional choirs will perform their partisan and anti-fascist repertoires. A plethora of socially engaged and activist choirs will hit the stage, such as the Praksa choir from Pula, ZBORXOP and Domaći gosti from Zagreb, VINS from Rijeka, as well as those that have fostered the values of anti-fascism for decades: The Culture and Arts Society Jeka Primorja mixed choir.
During the concert, free anti-fascist meals will be cooked for the community at the Working-Class Food for the Civic Palate event.
