@article{
author = "Šentevska, Irena M.",
year = "2024",
abstract = "U ovom članku razmatram no-budget muzički događaj Fesram (Festival sranje muzike) kao rezultat specifične forme kulturnog otpora društvenoj realnosti Srbije u protekloj deceniji. U uvodnom delu situiram Fesram u kontekst postojećih formi političkog otpora trenutno dominantnom političkom režimu u Srbiji. U drugom delu bavim se konceptom „loše muzike“ u istorijskom i kulturnom kontekstu Srbije, a posebno njenim akademskim razmatranjima i širim kulturnim i političkim implikacijama. U trećem delu raspravljam o Fesramu, njegovoj pozadini, načinu funkcionisanja i komunikaciji s publikom. Četvrti deo odnosi se na Fesramov obračun sa kulturnim stereotipima duboko ukorenjenim u srpskom društvu i odsustvom društvene kritike u zvaničnoj kulturnoj sferi. U zaključnom delu analiziram Fesram kao oblik „diskretnog aktivizma“ kojem se pribegava u okolnostima kada drugi oblici političkog otpora ne deluju., The recent social developments in Serbia have established a new model of political
monopolies and an effective return to the one-party regime. Such absence of alternatives in the official political sphere provokes three basic forms of resistance: complete disillusionment with the political system and its major exponents which results
in political abstinence; mass protests in response to concrete instances of abuse of
political power and informal cultural initiatives which communicate political messages through the critique of the politicisation of the cultural sphere. In this paper, the
case study for this form of political resistance is the independently produced, low-budget music festival Fesram (Festival sranje muzike or Festival of Crap Music), active between 2012 and 2019, which at the same time challenged the political and cultural
systems in the country, and their respective core values.
The introductory part of the article situates Fesram in the context of the existing forms
of political resistance to the currently dominant political regime. The second part discusses the concept of „bad music“ in the Serbian cultural context, its history and academic treatment (or lack thereof), and its wider cultural and political implications.
The third part discusses Fesram, its background, and practices. The fourth part discusses Fesram’s manner of dealing with the cultural stereotypes prevailing throughout
Serbian history and the perceived absence of social criticism in Serbia’s official cultural
sphere. In the concluding part Fesram is observed as a form of „discreet activism“ resorted to in circumstances in which other forms of political resistance seem to fail.
Without permanent funding, venues or a fixed time-frame, Fesram changed its dates
and locations, spontaneously responding to current goings-on in Belgrade and Serbia,
and communicated with its audiences mainly through its Facebook page. Playing with
ideological opposites, confronting them in „outrageous“ combinations (musical, verbal and visual) Fesram invited its audiences to critically (or even un-critically) distance
themselves from the extreme poles of the political spectrum. Although it parodied
characters from the official political and cultural spheres and mocked the language of
tabloid media and the prevailing political jargon, Fesram did not align with any established political option, inviting its audience to think beyond the existing political system and question the society’s core values. Fesram was not didactic: it communicated
exclusively by annoying anyone who failed to receive its messages. And Fesram’s probably most important message is that Serbian society has nurtured false cultural values
and associated political doctrines for far too long and that it has only itself to blame
for the condition it has found itself in. This erratic music festival had not only shaped
an alternative form of activism, but a new type of „activist citizen“ who understands
the meaning of „crap“ (whether in music, culture, politics or society in general) and
the importance of this understanding. Fesram also showed that political resistance
goes hand in hand with resistance to the cultural values propelling political action.",
publisher = "Beograd : Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju",
journal = "Kritika: časopis za filozofiju i teoriju društva",
title = "„Neukus“ kao oblik kulturnog otpora: fesram i debata o lošoj muzici u Srbiji, „Bad Taste“ as Cultural Resistance: Fesram And The Crap Music Debate In Serbia",
number = "1",
volume = "5",
pages = "25-47",
doi = "10.5281/zenodo.11371479"
}
