Chocolina

The author concludes that she meets the criteria which, according to the statistics, will prevent her from leaving the rental system. She is young, black, female, until recently self-employed in culture, single, and has no inheritance of property or real estate. Although she is improving her personal situation through part-time employment in the public sector with a good salary base, regular savings, hard work, her chances of buying a property in the next decade are, according to the banks, almost nil. While young people are desperately going to competitive interviews for renting overpriced rooms and flats, listening to politicians’ promises of building social rental housing (it is not yet clear who all will be entitled to it and under what conditions), individuals are using cash to buy more flats in the Šumi, the Schellenburg Palace and Villa, the Masarykova Residence and other luxury buildings, which seem to be the only residences being built in Ljubljana. However, these residences have very few residents, as most of the apartments are empty, and are intended only as a repository for property. Therefore, the author is appealing mainly to wealthy individuals to sponsor her and buy her a flat.

In recent years, the housing problem in Slovenia has become an existential crisis. Rising property prices and rents, as well as inflation, have meant that many people, especially young people, can no longer afford to live in the cities. At the same time, job opportunities, especially in the arts, are stacked up in the cities. This is exacerbated by the unstable labour market, where unstable, atypical jobs are often available without guaranteed employment rights. The unregulated rental market and the intensification of homelessness contribute to increasing inequality, exploitation and exclusion and are the basis for many social problems. This is why the issue of housing is a key social and political issue, as the way in which housing is provided has a fundamental impact on the quality of life of the inhabitants of cities. The architect Miloš Kosec points to gentrification in Ljubljana and the related processes of stratification of society and the displacement of vulnerable groups from urban life, precisely those who have provided the city with its substance up to now (artists, students, etc.). The price rises are absurdly taking place through the privatisation of the very public investments that have been invested in the development of the city for centuries. And the city should remain accessible to all.

For the project, the artist has given herself the nickname Chocolina , a racial profiling nickname derived from her real name (Lina), but also a product (Čokolino) and a construct to market herself and try to make money through online platforms. She will explore the link between feminism, sex work, financial independence and the platform OnlyFans.

She will also explore women’s housing issues in other countries, other environments and reflect on her own position in relation to them.