Art squat

An art squat is a name used to describe the action of artists to occupy (or squat in) an abandoned building, thereby creating studio space to create art. Art squats often have a semi-legal or illegal status.

Tacheles, in Berlin, Germany, was one of many buildings occupied by artists in the years after World War II[1] and continued to operate as a studio space and gallery until 2012, when the authorities closed it for redevelopment.[2]

Paris, France, has experienced several decades of art squats, a result of high rents and a large Bohemian artist population.[3] Early examples include the Bateau-Lavoir (destroyed during the 1970s) and Hôpital Éphémère, occupied during the 1980s and 90s.[3] In the 2000s the Paris city hall began an initiative to redevelop and legalise the city's art squats, beginning with a 6-storey squat on rue de Rivoli which was renovated and reopened in 2009.[3]

In the 1990s a group of painters and sculptors gathered in an abandoned building in the Fairfax District, Los Angeles, USA.

References

  1. ↑ "Writing's on the wall for art squat", Sydney Morning Herald, January 27, 2009. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  2. ↑ Jonathan Jones, "The closure of Berlin's Tacheles squat is a sad day for alternative art", Jonathan Jones on Art (blog), The Guardian, September 5, 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "In Paris, Art Fills the Void", The New York Times (travel), January 26, 2010. Retrieved 2013-06-02.

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