Borghesia

Borghesia was formed in Slovenia 1982 by Aldo Ivančič and Dario Seraval, both connected to the FV-112/15 alternative theatre group in Ljubljana. The line-up subsequently extended to include Zemira Alajbegović, Goran Devid and Neven Korda. Rapidly abandoning the conventions of the stage, Borghesia evolved rapidly into something like a multimedia infrastructure for the production of alternative forms of culture, much in the DIY spirit of punk. In 1981 it established a regular club night in Ljubljana, Disko FV, as well as a Video Club; and it participated in the organisation of Magnus, festival of gay and lesbian films in 1984. Borghesia’s lyrics often made reference to avant-garde literature and film, including the works of Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Jean Genet. Focusing on ‘marginal’ sexual identities and practices, Borghesia’s images and music critiqued the bourgeois conventions of life in socialist Yugoslavia. This track appeared on their first cassette in 1983. Their debut LP, Ljubav je Hladnija od Smrti (Love is Colder Than Death) and compilation of music videos, Tako Mladi (So Young) was released on FV Založba, a label which they initially ran. In the late 1980s, Borghesia enjoyed international success, releasing their albums on the Play It Again Sam label based in Belgium.