19 Frigos Street- 13th

I live on the edge of the 12^th arrondissement, very close to the 13^th arrondissement. The closest shopping to me, therefore, is just across the Seine, into the 13^th arrondissement. This is a pleasant walk, lots of cafes (surprise), people, and a beautiful view of the Seine. I pass through a GIANT, beautiful park called the Park of Bercy. This park is a place I have already found myself spending a lot of time in. It is a good place to read, write, and think. Yet, for me, this beautiful park is not the gem of the short journey. There is this run down building that has, on first glance, nothing special. I noticed it simply because it looked like a run down piece of crap in an otherwise very modern area. Upon looking up, I noticed a sort of tower, and upon looking down (the entire building is below street level) I noticed that the entire perimeter was covered in graffiti. The graffiti was absolutely beautiful, not the rude kind people do to demolish property, but the kind that takes a lot of talent. Thus, I was intrigued and decided to do some research.

Before 1985, this building was an abandoned factory. Though not completely consistent, the majority of sources suggest that this building was basically a giant refrigerator, a place where ice could be produced and stored. Eventually, with progress to the railroads, the buildings were no longer used, and they were left abandoned for approximately 15 years. These run down factories were all along the Seine, and Paris did not know what to do with them as it was attempting to modernize this area. The city, then, began selling these factories to artists to utilize if they promised to update and modernize the space.

The ex-factory, then, became a blank canvas, a place for artists to come together and have place to work. The attraction of artists transformed the area into a popular, hip, young neighborhood, and the community grew close due everyone working on the same project (making the building a workable space.).

This space is still being used, 30 years later, as a place for aspiring artists to work on and sell their art. Many artists of all kinds (painters, musicians, sculptors, you name it) have space here currently. This link has information on current events and artists, as well as a brief history (basically what I just wrote) http://les-frigos.com/ . Photos are coming.