A new mural titled The Rental Cage by artist Klara Perušek graces the administrative building at Trg prekomorskih brigad 1, tackling one of currently most pressing social topics – the housing crisis, which most severely impacts young people and young families.
The artist humorously amplifies this partly autobiographical theme to the point of absurdity, visually depicting it through a scene of a young family crammed into an undersized living space – a dog kennel, symbolically shown as the only “home” they can afford. The work illustrates the limited options on the property market and raises questions about housing accessibility, the conditions for starting a family, and the wider social consequences of the soaring cost of living.
To illustrate the multifaceted nature of the housing crisis, the artist weaves additional symbolic elements into the work. The size of the figures in the mural hints at the consequences of budgeting and resorting to cheaper, lower-quality food, while simultaneously drawing attention to one of the reasons behind declining birth rates, as many young people delay starting or expanding a family due to unfavourable living conditions.
A dog, the original “owner” of the kennel, is also included in the scene; due to the lack of space, it has been left without its shelter and even its food, further highlighting the distress and absurdity of the situation. Its bowl, in which a baby now sleeps, symbolises the daily compromises and sacrifices that the rising cost of living imposes on an increasing number of people, as a decent home becomes an ever more elusive ideal for many.
The conceptual design for the mural The Rental Cage was selected through Kino Šiška’s open call Cultural Euro 2025, aimed at supporting young creators by (co-)funding visual art projects in the form of a mural painting. A jury of five experts unanimously chose Klara Perušek’s project from among nine valid applications.
Klara Perušek is a kinesiologist by training, as well as a versatile creator, illustrator, and graphic designer whose life has been intertwined with art since childhood. Alongside murals, she takes on various artistic projects, focusing primarily on digital illustration in recent times. In her creative work, she frequently addresses current social issues, interpreting them through symbolism and visual narrative. She was assisted by Nejc Zorenč, an intermediate artist and painter who works at the intersection of visual communications, street art, and painting, in the execution of the mural at Trg prekomorskih brigad 1.
Organisation: Kino Šiška and the Institute for Urban Questions (INURB).
Special thanks to our sponsors: HELIOS Slovenia and Riwal / Boels Slovenia.
