The Hindu : International : An artists' squat goes official

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Wednesday, Aug 04, 2004

International

International

An artists' squat goes official

By Amelia Gentleman

PARIS, AUG. 3 . An illegal Parisian artists' squat is to be transformed into an official and permanent cultural centre, designed as a counterpoint to more traditional galleries such as the Louvre, at a cost of up to euro 7 million (about Rs. 40 crores).

For first time in its five-year history, the purple, pink and orange doorway to the squat in a former office block at the heart of the capital, was locked on Monday after city authorities ruled that the building was no longer safe to receive the thousands of people who visit annually.

The 30 artists who work there have been given rent-free studios and living space elsewhere, while the Paris authorities begin an emergency renovation programme on the premises. If the work goes smoothly, the squat will reopen, newly legalised, in early 2007.

Alternative art space

The commitment of the Paris authorities to support this anti-establishment project reflects the success the squat has had as an alternative art space since three artists known as the KGB (Kalex, Gaspard and Bruno) seized the abandoned six-storey building in November 1999.

About 3,00,000 visitors have toured the studios and exhibition spaces since it opened, making the site at one stage, according to the artists, the third most popular contemporary art centre in Paris - after the Pompidou Centre and the nearby Jeu-de-Paume gallery.

There are no official figures to support their claim, but the Paris Mayor's office said there was no questioning the squat's popularity.

The number of visitors has been the main problem. Fire regulations dictate that a second staircase must be built to accommodate such huge numbers, which is why the building must be temporarily closed.

Relief and hostility

The decision to preserve the building attracted a mixture of relief and hostility among the artists. "We represent a breath of fresh air, and the authorities recognise that," said Kalex, one of the collective's founders. "Young artists who aren't yet recognised by the art establishment can show their work here." The squat's success owed much, he said, to its position, squeezed amid a parade of high street chain stores, at the centre of a busy shopping centre.

In one studio, surrounded by his oil paintings of wide-eyed and glaring nudes, Francesco (who like most of the artists goes only by one name), said that he was concerned that the transformation into an institutionalised arts centre might pollute the atmosphere of freedom.

"The fact that what we're doing is illegal gives it a kind of magic. Once it becomes official, there will be written rules and regulations and the whole spirit of the place will change," he said.

— Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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