Color

Zagreb, I Love You!

The “Zagreb, I Love You!” festival is part of the homage to Tomislav Gotovac (1937 – 2010), the most significant Croatian performance artist from the second half of the 20th century. In 1981 Gotovac emerged from Ilica 8 doorway, walked along the street towards the Republic Square (now Ban Jelacic Square), and lay naked on the street, kissing the asphalt. The exposure of his body was an act of defiance against the system – against any system – and the ultimate display of freedom of expression.

Gotovac’s influence is still strong, even after his death, in the global art community. The aim of the Festival is not only the appreciation of his work, but also the consideration of the social reaction to a naked body in a public space. The artist performing in 2015 was Lan Hungh from Berlin. He was also stopped by the police like the artists in the previous years. This year it seems that the public was more tolerant, because the performance lasted four hours until the police came, whereas the last year it was stopped immediately. Hungh was arrested and held for two hours at a police station.