Metelkova Mesto
“The real change happened when Slovenia gained independence in 1991,” explains Janez Premk, a local art historian. “The barracks was abandoned and hundreds of artists and activists petitioned the government to use the site creatively, instead of turning into a commercial building … [That] didn’t work out, so after two years they decided to occupy it themselves and declare it an autonomous zone. The authorities don’t like it, but now they have to tolerate it.”