Ljubljana, Slovenia
Deso's Shoebox Apartment
Story and Media: Ben Rubin and Kutičk Works
Deso is an artist who rides skateboards, or a skateboarder who makes art - I forget which one. He runs his company R.O.W. skateboards out of one of the smallest bedrooms in Ljubljana, and was still kind enough to lend me all of his floorspace for a few nights when I was traveling through Slovenia this summer. He was always game for late-night pizza burek, rolling me cigarettes, and getting into something around town - rain or shine.
He was also down to share his zine collection with me, and I spent a good couple nights digging through his recommendations from him and listening to his stories. I wanted to make a post about some of his favorites, so I asked him to pick 5 he liked. He handed me a stack of 25, so we went from there.
yes my room is small but full with small details and stupid stuff i like and my friends gavce me
gave me
i i run out of space i will build another shelt for zines
No worries about spelling, we're in the Balkans, Balkan English is A-OK.
cool
i dont change
i just made wath i made
yes true
i could pick more but you say no no it,s enough hehehe
I recognize some familiar drawings and photos in those covers. What is the zine scene like in Ljubljana?
hm
yes i think the scene for wich i know in ljubljana is stong
and also postojna scene is good
i think the scene is growing in good way
you still have some rendom bullshit but most of it is nice
Yeah, you need a little bit of random bullshit to make the world go 'round.
thats true
some people are making zines just becose it,s trendy or someting like this
The Boldriders seem like a centerpoint in the creative skate scene in Slovenia - tell me about Pumpa - how many of your zines are somehow connected to that crew?
pumpa is center of slovenia
also people there
the best crew
hm i think all of the zines are conected
to pumpa
All roads lead to Pumpa.
that,s it
i mean
if i wouldnt meet with people in postojna i would probably not know what zine is
couse lele ,tibor ,fočo and other guys there know a lot of people doing zines and skateboarders
so then sergej vutuc
and so on and so on
and the circle gets bigger and biger
and then this french guy hehehhe
quantan
and this stupid guy ben rubin hehheheee
heh
joke love you all
I heard Quentin went back to France on a Frenchship, with some of your cigarettes.
that,s true
and my sleeping bag
So Pumpa brings creative people together.
yes
the energy there
Even thieving Frenchmen.
and the place is amaizing
true
How would you describe Pumpa to someone out of the loop?
i wouldt decribe it i wood bring him there
Its in Postojna, Slovenia - It used to be a gas station, then the BoldRiders converted into what it is today.
they are guilty
there inside there is a drum set and guitar and some stuff to build concrete park
and a miniramp i spend the most time in my life skate it
Everything you need, nothing you don't
true
We made a zine there this year, which you contributed to
true
At the Pumpa party
You drew a picture with your cigarette and ate a stuffed pepper.
but i only made one drawing with cigaret
and some body cover it hehe
Yeah, Pumpa is wild
o yes be preperd if you come on party
Protect your cigarettes and your sleeping bag
but when there is no party it,s easy going
nice quiet place
yes protect it
So the Bold Rider crew built this place, and its sort of the creative heart of the skate scene in Slovenia.
yes boldriders build this place
and for me it,s most inportant trasure in slovenia
and now a lot of people got inspired by pumpa
Even cigarette-stealing Frenchmen and Americans
but it,s funny thath more people from outside slovenia than slovenians come to skate the place
Yeah? Crazy, why is that?
yes americans stealing cigarets and having 5 pacages of tobaco in their bags
couse pople come onre time and say it,s to hard the flat is not prfect they cant wax it yes it,s funny they shold come more times and not complain just skate it i guess funny but true
So Pumpa is inspiring this international scene in Slovenia
i mean you have more and more people know about pumpa and also slovenians are geting there more and more but usually just few guys you know wath i mean
A lot of your zines are made by Slovenians, and International folks collaborating with Slovenians. Do you remember the first zines that you got to start your collection? Which ones have been most inspiring to you?
yes boldrider zine probably i dont remember
i reall like lele,s zines beli sladoled label
Yeah, I noticed a bunch of his stuff in the 25 I looked at
i relly like all of them it,s hard to dicide wich one it,s the best couse there are so many and one day one is top the other day some otherone otherone
yes it,s always like this some people we know on tours they made zines or people coming to visit us in postojna or friend of a frend or friend of sergey vutuc ..... and they give me zines and i give them back my stuff so it,s always about sharing meeting new people from skateboarding and so on
Any projects on the horizon that we should look out for?
nothing seris serius
Perhaps a Deso Newspaper?
me uroš and tati and robert kos draw some drawings
and we soon gona print new zine
I heard through the grapevine that a Wesley Willis inspired zine was underway
yes song chiken cow hehhe gona be great nasty zine hehhe cant waith we only have to do cover together
Thanks for sharing your time and zines Deso, and the floorspace of your walk-in shoebox when I was staying in Ljubljana.
can you do a kick flip
who is your favorite skater hhehehe
Besos
Keep me posted about your new zine
i will not
I won't send you the Pumpa zine soon, Prolly won't send it this week.
cool hehe
i really dont want them
pice of paper to grill
winter is coming
can you send me more
to start fire in my oven
Besos all around
