squatter art scene in Paris

United Kingdom - The Guardian
The squatter art scene in Paris
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1931582,00.html

The journalist Angelique Chrisafis responds to the recent eviction of artists from 'Le Barbizon', an early 20th century cinema converted into an artist's squat since 2003, "Like a dozen other illegal arts venues in Paris - empty factories, warehouses and parcel depots invaded and reclaimed by artists, designers and film-makers who can't afford the city's studio rents - 'Le Barbizon' was a fixture on the local arts scene. ...The raid on Le Barbizon and the threat of a string of other police evictions of squats artisques has panicked culture officials at Paris's city hall, who believe the capital's long tradition of squats and illegally occupied buildings are crucial to breathe life into its stultified arts scene. So integral are squats to Paris's cultural infrastructure that four years ago the city hall paid 7m euros to buy and renovate the most conspicuous one, 59 rue de Rivoli, a former bank not far from the Louvre..." (27/10/2006)