Our very biased and completely subjective impressions of Zagreb that are based on very limited observation.

Zagreb seems to promote two things – even when you are a passenger, – it’s clear to bare eyes that these things are trend topics citywide; Gothic Subculture and Radio Antennas. It’s not possible to escape the thought that these two things are interconnected. It all might be due to their sharp and intimidating look or to the mysterious attraction they seem to produce on the observer.

Be that as it may, this intuition was further nurtured by our confirmation bias, that was a discovery that our landlord is into ham radio. At night, walking past his windows and thanks to interior lighting we had a glimpse into some of his observable life. Just this one time, on our way back from a divine grocery shopping experience – which we had just once and that sufficed for the whole 3 nights we spent in this city – we saw him through the window, his back to us, sitting on a long desk, surrounded by radio looking devices and gadgets, headphones and antennas.

Expectedly, this gave our imagination an amazing scope. After this revelatory inspiration, we immediately decided in our minds for this man to have an unexpected hobby. Late in the evening he would sit in front of the radio station tuning into the waves of the other aficionados around the world, and exchanging signals with them.

It’s not hard to guess why he would be attracted to this subculture. The whole city is covered with extravagant radio antennas, looking like old crooked trees with wicked branches trying to grasp something. Maybe for this city antennas mean a holy thing, maybe they deliberately protect this mechanism that might look so outdated. Maybe they enjoy the ideas of exchanging signals, ideas of being connected and the mystery of the whole thing.

The amateur radio culture could be the true precursor to different movements for the free and decentralised organisation of information and life in general, like the early internet pirate subculture or the web 3 trends nowadays. And it might be that the cult of radio antennas in Zagreb is somehow linked to the omnipresence of gothic, rock and hard metal vibes. Even the main cathedral is transformed into a huge antenna. The most important symbol of the city became a representation of radio culture.

It’s not only radio antennas but also the blood circulation system of Zagreb – the tram rails – that seem to cover the city like a spider’s web. Flowing in the city’s veins you see young people represent this gothic and metal culture with style. Hair, clothes, tattoos, all details are taken care of with a great deal of attention.

All that makes us feel that Zagreb lives in a rebel analog universe, powered by tram railways and radio waves. Unlike digital world that tries to convey all the infinite riches of reality in 1s and 0s, analog world has all the elegance and mysterious nature of a wave. All that creates space for crazy constructivist buildings, half abandoned towers, theatre academy club restaurants, antique bookshops and muddy parks with ducks and turtles.