Peter Gabrijelčič, 1974
Skupina RIM
Marjan Vrabec
RIM je bila neformalno povezana skupina treh oziroma štirih prijateljev, študentov arhitekture na Ljubljanski FAGG.
Sestavljali smo jo: Mirko Mršnik (Izola), Marjan Vrabec (Sežana), Janez Zbačnik (Zagreb, Šibenik, Ljubljana) in Janko Zlodre (Split). Trije: Mršnik, Vrabec in Zbačnik smo se spoznali že kot bruci, konec leta 1969.
Povezali so nas podobni pogledi na svet in
skupni interesi; navduševali smo se nad konceptualizmom skupine OHO, pop ar-tom (ameriški umetniki in Kostja Gatnik pri nas), stripi, občudovali smo lirično slikarstvo rdečega (arhitektonskega) obdobja Metke Krašovec. Pozneje nas je pritegnila tudi utopična arhitektura Richarda Buckminster Fullerja.
Leta 1971 se nam je pridružil Janko Zlodre, ki je v 'zadnji fazi' skupine nadomestil Janeza Zbačnika.
Ime RIM si je 'izmislil' Mirko Mršnik. Nekoliko provokativno ime vsebuje tudi besede MI in MIR (peace). Toda bolj kot MIR nas je zanimal NE - MIR, akcija, happening, protesti ... Leta 69 in 70 smo se udeležili vseh študentskih protestov, ki jih je bilo kar nekaj, tudi zasedbe Aškerčeve ulice in Filozofske fakultete. Sodelovali smo tudi aktivno, saj smo risali in
pisali plakate in jih ponoči lepili po mestu; tudi na trolejbuse, tik preden so speljali s postajališč. Seveda smo bili tudi redni obiskovalci znamenitega lokal Šumi, ki je bil zbirališče ljubljanskih umetnikov, boemov in intelektualcev in kjer si vedno lahko srečal znanca ali prijatelja in iz prve roke zvedel kaj se dogaja v mestu.
Približno dve leti smo bili stalni gosti slavne Sobe 25. Čeprav smo bili dve leti mlajši so nas nekateri najbolj udarni 'sobaši' sprejeli medse, oziroma nas posvojili. Mnogo časa smo preživeli v njihovi risalnici, gledali kaj delajo, diskutirali, se kregali. Skupaj smo preživeli tudi mnogo gostilniških večerov in nekaj izletov. Že takrat smo bili na to zelo ponosni, važni, pa tudi hvaležni starejšim kolegom.
Pri študijskem delu v seminarju prof. Ravni-
karja smo si pomagali tudi s fotografijo in filmom (program oblikovanja in dimenzioniranja pisarniške opreme), snemali smo intervjuje z meščani (uporabniki prostora) ipd.
Najraje pa smo imeli dogodke. Ko jih ni bilo, pa smo se jih izmislili.
Kot skupina smo organizirali in izpeljali 'happening' na Vegovi ulici. Takrat je mestna Komunala posekala drevored velikih, starih topolov v ulici, s čimer se seveda nismo strinjali. Iz kartonskih tulcev (Kartonažna tovarna) smo naredili debla, iz raznobarvne pvc folije ki smo jo napihnili pa krošnje dreves in ta 'plastična' drevesa postavili na mesta odstranjenih. Z močnim ozvočenjem smo predvajali precej glasno glasbo in ljudem razdelili razne rekvizite: vrvi, plastične cevi ipd., da si sami oblikujejo svoje instalacije ali se igrajo. Ker smo dogodek najavili
Marjan Vrabec
1973
The group RIM
Marjan Vrabec
RIM was an informal group of friends who were, students of architecture at Ljubljana University.
Its members were: Mirko Mršnik (Izola) Marjan Vrabec (Sežana), Janez Zbačnik (Zagreb, Šibenik, Ljubljana) in Janko Zlodre (Split). We were friends from the beginning of our studies at the end of 1969. We had similar views of the world and in-
terests: the thrill of the conceptualist group OHO, pop ait from USA and Slovenian artist Kostja Gatnik, cartoons, and lyrical paintings of Metka Krasevec's red (architectural) period. Later we were also inspired by utopian architect Buckminster Fuller and his spheric architecture.
Mirko Mrsnik proposed the provocative name RIM, which allowed for different word combinations: MI meaning WE and MIR meaning PEACE. But we were more interested in NON-PEACE actions, happenings and protests. We took part in student unrests, including the occupation of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Philosophy . We always took an active part, such as drawing, writing posters and their distribution in the city, including fixing them on city buses a minute before their departure from the bus stop. We
were regular guests in Sumi, the famous meeting place of artists, bohemians and intellectuals of Ljubljana, where you could get the most current information on what was happening in town.
For two years we were regular guests in famous Room 25. We were younger but were adopted by the strongest enthusiasts there. We spent time in Room 25 following their activities, taking part in the discussions and arguments. We joined them in the pubs during evenings and on different excursions. We were proud and grateful to the older colleagues.
In project assignments by Professor Ravnikar we used different presentation methods: photography and audio-video recordings of
interviews with the citizens as primary users of city space.
But our principal loves were the events. When there were none we invented them. We helped Room 25 when they were repainting the iron railings designed by architect Maks Fabiani, near by the Franciscan Church. We cleaned the rusting parts and painted the railings yellow. We were rudely interrupted by police with their chief officer Pavle Celik.
As group RIM we organized and carried out happening at Vegova Street.
Ljubljana City Works cut down the whole avenue of big trees and we deeply disagreed
Janko Zlodre, 1973
1973
na radiu Študent se je kmalu zbrala velika množica ljudi, ki so začeli rajati, plesati, tekati okrog ... in s tem seveda ulico zaprli za promet. Obiskali so nas tudi policisti (miličniki), nas kot organizatorje popisali in pozneje prijavili sodniku za prekrške (zapora prometa). Ob obtožbi smo najeli (brezplačne) študente prava, ki so jo uspeli ovreči, tako, da nismo plačali kazni, ki bi bila kar velika, posebno za revne študente kakršni smo bili. S kolegi iz Sobe 25 smo sodelovali pri barvanju ograje arhitekta Maksa Fabianija ob Frančškanski cerkvi. Ograja je bila v slabem stanju, rjasta, potrebna obnove. Ograjo smo očistili in jo prebarvali v rumeno, s čimer pa se ni strinjala policija, ki nas je tudi tu obiskala in prekinila delo. Prišel je celo njihov šef g. Pavle Čelik.
V okviru programa v semestru prof. Ravnikarja smo spomladi 73, na dvorišču za
fakulteto 'zgradili' kupolo iz lepenke, ki nam jo je podarila Kartonažna tovarna. Skladno s teorijo takrat popularnega arhitekta okroglih konstrukcij Richarda Buckminster Fullerja smo s pomočjo njegovih izračunov in formul iz trikotnih likov različnih dimenzij postavili kupolo premera 5 m in višine 2,5 m. Bila je tako trdna, da si lahko stal na vrhu. Ker se nas je prof. Ravnikar takrat izogibal, jo je prišel 'občudovat' ponoči; tako so nam povedali ... Takrat smo iz različnih materialov izdelali še več manjših kupol, okroglih in elipsastih oblik.
Po doktrini konceptualizma smo opremili Knjigo o jazzu; pomen posameznih risb v knjigi pa smo najbrž razumeli le mi sami. Pomagali smo opremiti tudi nekaj stanovanj prijateljem.
Predvsem pa smo se zabavali. Tudi s skupino študentov in profesorjev z znamenite lon-
donske šole za arhitekturo AA (Architectural Association), ki jih je gostil nekaj tednov naš faks v začetku leta 1973. Mnogo dni smo preživeli skupaj z zanimivimi in radovednimi študenti s celega sveta, ki so študirali na tej zelo dragi šoli.
Razkazali smo jim mesto, organizirali izlete v gore, na Kras, k morju. Spoznali so mnoge slovenske gostilne. Bili so navdušeni nad našo, za njih precej neznano deželo.
Konec tega leta smo 'obisk' vrnili, le da smo bili mi v Londonu cele tri mesece. Naša skupina je štela petnajst študentov med njimi smo bili vsi trije RIMOVCI. V Londonu smo bivali pri različnih družinah. Z Jankom sva bila skupaj s še štirimi drugimi gosta pri veliki družini (štirje otroci) prof. Bri-ana Ansona, ki je pozneje še večkrat obiskal naše kraje.
Dopoldne smo delali v različnih londonskih birojih, popoldan in zvečer smo obiskovali predavanja in okrogle mize na šoli AA. Slišali smo mnoge znane arhitekte in druge profesorje (Charles Jencks, Kenneth Framton, Umberto Eco). Vmes pa smo našli še čas za izlete v Cambridge, Oxford, Wales, koncerte, druženja v različnih pubih ... Brianu smo prepleskali stanovanje.
Ko je Peter Gabrielčič , takrat asistent prof. Ravnikarja pripravljal prve zasnove bodoče Univerze v Mariboru nas je, poleg svoje ekipe povabil na celodnevno predstavitev načrtov v Maribor. Naša naloga je bila popestriti dogajanje. Ker se nismo domislili česa bolj originalnega, smo se odločili, da bomo barvali mestne pločnike.
Nabavili smo si veliko količino različnih pleskarskih barv in vzeli svoje 'poslanstvo' zelo resno, s psihadeličnimi vzorci smo po-
Marjan Vrabec
1973
with that. We started making model of trees from cardboard sheets and plastic foil shaped as tree crowns. We replaced the cut down frees with these plastic models. With loud music in the background we distributed tools and materials among the spectators so they could use their creativity and make different objects to play with. The event was advertised on Student Radio and soon a big crowd was formed and people started circle dancing and running around. They obstructed the traffic. Police came and put our names on record as organizers, so we had to appear in the court. The law students prepared our defence and we pleaded not guilty, so we did not have to pay the very high penalty charge.
In the backyard of the university building we erected a large dome according to the
mathematical formulas of architect Buck-minster Fuller with a diameter of 5m and a height of 2.5m. It was constructed of cardboard triangles and very strong so you could stand on top. Our Professor Ravnikar was avoiding us at the time so they said he came to admire it at night. Later on we constructed more smaller spherical domes using different materials.
We illustrated The Book of Jazz according to a theory of conceptual art that only we could understand. We also did some interior designs for our friends' apartments.
But above all we enjoyed ourselves, also with agroup of visiting British students from AA school of architecture. During our return visit in London we lived with different families.
Janko and I we were guests in the four-child family of Professor Brian Anson, who later visited Ljubljana as well. In the morning we worked in different architectural offices and in the evenings we attended lectures and seminars with famous professors such as Umberto Eco, Charles Jenks, Keneth Framp-ton and others. We also had some sightseeing trips to Cambridge, Oxford and Wales, had discussions in pubs and went to rock conceits. To be useful we also painted Professor Anson's flat.
Peter Gabrijelcic, Professor Ravnikar's assistant at the time, invited us to enhance his presentation of ideas for the new Maribor University. Our job was to make the event more appealing to the public. We decided to paint the pavements in the city. We worked hard and painted a few dozens of metres of
pavements in colourful psychedelic patterns. The people on the street were curious and asked us about the meaning of such activity. Our answer was: 'We are laying foundations for the new university'.
These were some events I remember most. There were many more and we also had to perform all our duties according to the study curriculum and pass exams etc. After the colleagues from Room 25 finished their study our group also started to dissolve and at the beginning of 1974 we stopped working together.
During the summer of 1974 the three members of group RIM with four members of Room 25 made their last trip together to the Korcula school run by Praxis magazine (a
Marjan Vrabec, 1973
barvali kar nekaj deset metrov pločnikov. Domačini so nas z radovednostjo opazovali in spraševali kaj to pomeni. Odgovor je bil, da »polagamo temelje bodoče univerze«
To je bilo nekaj dogodkov, ki se jih še najbolje spominjam. Seveda so se dogajale še druge stvari; tudi študirali smo, delali vaje in izpite. Po končanem študiju kolegov iz Sobe 25 smo se tudi mi počasi razpustili in v začetku leta 74 prenehali skupaj delovati.
Korčuli je bilo nepozabnih. To je bil zadnji skupni Soba 25 -
■ RIM.
Potem smo diplomirali, se preselili v svoje kraje (sam v Koper) in šli vsak svojo pot.
Ostali so lepi spomini.
Poleti 74 smo šli trije RIMOVCI in štirje 'predstavniki' Sobe 25 še zadnjič na skupni izlet in to na večdnevno korčulansko šolo revije za filozofijo Praxis (revijo in šolo so po tem dogodku ukinili). Spominjam se, da smo najeli le eno majhno zaseebno sobo in se potili tako v sobi, kot tudi na predavanjih, med drugim tudi jeznih emancipiranih žensk, ki so takrat imele svoj kongres. Teh nekaj dni na
FAGG, Arhitektura, Ljubljana in AA, School of Architecture, London 1973.
philosophy magazine), which was afterwards discontinued. We all stayed in one single private room and were sweating heavily all the time. I remember the angry emancipated women who had their congress there at the same time. Those few days on the island of Korcula were unforgettable. They were the last common action of RIM with Room 25.
Afterwards we all graduated and moved back to our home towns (I moved to Koper) to start our different paths of life.
Many beautiful, enchanting memories still remain.