Free Radio was a part of Festival of New Art (FONA) in Rijeka. It started broadcasting on 89.0 FM on 9th of September and was broadcasting from 14h until 24 h.
FONA took place in multimedia Center ‘Palach’ in ‘OK Gallery’ and was curated by Branko Cerovac. MMC Palach is for more than a decade place where non institutional and alternative art has been created almost in spite of all the obstacles that politics, institutions and after-war black economy can initiate. In similar position as most of the autonomous cultural spaces in Croatia only defiance and enthusiasm prevailed for this excellent manifestation to happen.
FTR was a huge success on FONA. 98 FM had broadcasted more talks, music and seen more hands on microphone in a short time than ever before. Young people understood the radio immediately and started playing their favorite hits from mobile phones.
Branko Cerovac and Krešimir Kovačićek gave a broad insight in FONA and matters that surround it. Other actors on Rijeka scene were here to discus, scream and laugh, invite others to participatate on the radio.
As this year’s theme was Art&Criminality, a free radio, more popularly called pirate radio, was used also to invite local police for opening of the exhibition. They were the ones that would benefit the most from this cultural event. Instead of police an inspection appeared. Easiest way to close down the event is to measure more decibels in the air than law allows, but luckily festival speakers didn’t go above 87 and as 90 was allowed inspection sticked around to check again and again. No luck for them.
Beside FTR there were different exhibits, performances and live music act in the MMC. In the middle of them was a radio receiver playing materials that were broadcasting in another room. People were scrolling between two rooms to talk and listen to the free radio program.
Many thanx to organizers of Fona and others that helped and to Monteparadiso Hacklab who borrowed FM transmitter.