TEMPLE OF ART CIVILIZED
True to a Parisian tradition of appropriating and taming wildcat actions taken by its citizens (the weekly rollerblade outing is a good example – what started as an illegal run through Paris streets was taken over by the city and is now well-organized, complete with police escort), a former artists’ squat at 59 rue de Rivoli has been purchased by the city and renovated to bring it up to code. Now playfully known as the “Aftersquat,” it is all white and squeaky-clean, far from the joyous chaos that it was when the squat was shut down in 2006. The handsome building on one of Paris’s busiest retail shopping streets now houses artists’ studios and a gallery. There is even talk of seeking commercial sponsors – among the names being bandied about is McDonald’s!
Favorite