The fourth gathering of the ‘Serbian underground’ comes to Novi Sad, after three years in Belgrade, in organisation of the MH Concerts and Serbian Hellbankers, with the support of the Student Cultural Centre Novi Sad and ‘Novi Sad 2021’ Foundation. Within the programme of the manifestation, Novi Sad will present 17 alternative bands, 36 visual artists from all corners of Serbia, as well as representatives of comic book culture.

On 16 and 17 March, the space of the co-called ‘Chinese Quarter’ will host alternative culture and art.

‘It is the content that brought us together. It is a metaphor of everything that has happened around the Chinese Quarter and that will happen. We can like or dislike the underground scene, but it has always carried the truth within itself. It is the same with the stories surrounding the Chinese Quarter. There were talks that everything will be demolished. There were talks that we will quench alternative culture. The truth is that a year later, after building the culture of dialogue, we are ready to build the programme, spaces, processes and people. This is the beginning of the new. Now!’ said Nemanja Milenković, CEO of the ‘Novi Sad 2021’ Foundation. He also announced the start of works on revitalisation of the so-called Chinese Quarter by placing the necessary infrastructure during this spring season, as an introduction to works leading to construction of the Youth Creative Polis.

The press-conference started with the words ‘Underground doesn’t have alternative’ of Obrad Škrbić, the Acting Director of the Student Cultural Centre, who welcomed underground culture and the Foundation as a partner that recognised the value and effort of young people, to make a neglected activism more visible.

‘The festival is unusual and different, it offers diverse programme and opportunity to hear and see those who have a hard time to get noticed – young and creative artists and bands of the underground subculture that play dark, gothic, electro rock, experimental… We have excellent technical support of the Audio Konstruktor productions, which will introduce innovative approach in implementation of simultaneous programmes on two stages in the same space’, says Nemanja Vuković, producer of the festival.

Žikica Milošević, frontmen of the Sputnik group, photographer and guitar player expects two things: ‘The festival should raise underground culture to a higher level, and we as a band should use this opportunity to build audience – to attract people who have not planned to see and hear us, to surprise them in a good way and to make them love us’.

The main goal of the Festival of Serbian Underground is to bring together as many independent artistic circles that don’t have enough support from media and institutions.

More about this year’s Festival of Serbian Underground in Novi Sad (SKCSN Fabrika)