Squatting de Luxe by Kathrin Spirk

SQUATTING DE LUXE
A group of young artists squats luxurious mansions in Mayfair.
reportage, London 
for Neon (2009)

Beautiful piece of work, have a look at her website: 


http://www.kathrinspirk.de/portfolio/SquattingDeLuxe/70.html

The Independent's article on squatting

Home truths: 'Squatting is the perfect example of the Big Society'

They have a reputation for occupying multimillion-pound pads and dragging down the value of neighbourhoods. But could squatters actually provide the bedrock for the Government's Big Idea – even as the Justice Secretary tries to stamp them out?"

 

By Matthew Bell

Sunday, 29th May 2011

read full article on:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/property/home-truths-squatting-is-the-perfect-example-of-the-big-society-2288870.html 

the funny bit is that article appeared under this section:

Home > Life & Style > House & Home > Property
I suggest to add "Property Speculator's Nightmares"

lol

Grow Heathrow by Jessica Summerling

Recent work by Jessica Sumerling, who just graduated from a London College of Communication, University of the Arts London.

All images, history of the project & book about it you can find at:

http://www.jessicasumerling.com/#1545831/Grow-Heathrow

Some other interesting links

http://justicenotcrisis.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/police-eviction-first-photos-and-video/

http://www.wussu.com/squatting/s0902131.htm

http://www.wussu.com/squatting/index.htm

Amsterdam police vacates squatted buildings:
http://www.dutchamsterdam.nl/599-amsterdam-police-clears-squatted-buildings

David Sparrow

David Sparrow photographs settlements and places of worship focussing on the space and aesthetics of the buildings and homes people live in.

http://www.davidspero.co.uk/menu.html

Villa Road

This is well worth a read:

Villa Road squatting community

Protest and Survive - Matthew Higgs

"The city during the industrial revolution was the grand stage set of Marxist politics, and ‘Protest & Survive’ featured not only a fair share of images of street protest, but also work in which the city is explored as a space of slippage and metamorphosis. One of the most powerful examples was the photographic documentation of Valie Export’s street performances from the late 1960s, such as Tap and Touch Cinema (1968), for which the artist invited passers-by to feel her breasts through a box she had constructed. Other, younger, artists chose to represent bookshops, parks and libraries as sites of potential transformation. Such works included a bridge built by Thomas Hirschhorn, which linked the gallery to the radical bookshop next door, literally opening a portal into a utopian space. Rob Pruitt’s Wishing Well (1998-2000) is a fountain built from Evian boxes and was full of the coins of passing strangers. Tariq Alvi’s proposed Poster for a Library (1996) depicted a naked young man with a large erection, reading a book. " - Mark Sladen

Read more here

passport to pimlico

Passport to Pimlico is one of the most charmingly whimsical Ealing Studios comedies of the late 1940s-early 1950s. As a result of wartime bombing, an ancient parchment is uncovered, proving that the Pimlico section of London belongs to Burgundy, France. Long taken for granted by other Londoners, the tiny Pimlico populace decides to take advantage of its "foreign" status. Affable oaf Stanley Holloway is made head of the new government, whereupon he merrily begins erecting borders and imposing customs duties. The sweetly satirical script of Passport to Pimlico was written by director Henry Cornelius and Ealing stalwart T.E.B. Clarke.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/passport-to-pimlico#ixzz1O4RZiphs

Big ressource on architecture, politics of space, urbanism and squatting

Definition, history and local-based approach of squatting:






http://www.spatialagency.net/database/why/political/squatting

Clifton Mansions - Brixton

This is the link for there regeneration proposal:

http://www.abcbrixton.org/dmdocuments/CMI%20Proposal%20June%2007.pdf

Clifton Mansions Initiative (CMI) aims to regenerate “Clifton Mansions”, a heritage building in Brixton Town Centre within its historic context. Clifton Mansions is a valuable asset to Brixton, contributing to its historic identity. CMI believes that the regeneration of this historic building could not only improve the quality of the town’s built environment but also act as catalyst for the alleviation of social and economic problems in the area, by providing a base for cultural revival. The aim is to purchase the building and establish a cultural centre with self-financing and sustainable intermediate rent live/work spaces plus added retail units.

Clifton Mansions Initiative was formed in 2006 by a group of concerned local residents who wish to see the building restored and brought back into sustainable use reflecting its history.

the Homeless Art Collective

http://www.subwaygallery.com/ART%20MINE.html

Cultural, artistic & political asylum in Berlin

Here is a very interesting and quite surprising initiative from Germany and its chancellor Angela Markel - The Contemporary Art Museum of Casoria, in Italy and its director, Antonio Manfredi have been offered a refuge in an emblematic squat in Berlin!

As through the project we're aiming for the development and setting up of pop up space to showcase some artistic and local community based work, this is some outstanding example of what can be achieved on a long term basis or through a co-operative government policy.

http://www.systranet.fr/turl/?systranpopupmode=1&systrangui=/web&systranuid=aHR0cC13d3cuYXJ0Y2xhaXIuY29tL3NpdGUvYXJjaGl2ZXMvZG9jc19hcnRpY2xlLzg1MzY2L3VuLW11c2VlLWl0YWxpZW4tZXQtc29uLWRpcmVjdGV1ci10cm91dmVudC1yZWZ1Z2UtZGFucy11bi1zcXVhdC1iZXJsaW5vaXMtLnBocC9mcl9lbg==&systranbanner=1


P.S.  the page was initially posted on a french site, it has been generically translated thus some bits might be a bit odd.

Battersea derelict complex

Previously squatted, large industrial complex in Battersea has been left derelict after eviction and subsequent vandalisation. At some point Camelot company installed their occupants there.

 

 

 

Beauty in decay

Amazing architecture of these buildings rather than being used is left completely abandoned for further damage. These beautifully shot pictures show post - industrial reality of Detroit.

from:

Beauty in Decay: The Art of Urban Exploration,  compiled by RomanyWG & published by Pro-Actif Communications, 2010.

Video Documentary

I can't seem to get the actual video up on the page.. but here's a link: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5006979090478328075

Adam Patterson on Heygate Estate

The Heygate Estate is the high-water mark of a place doomed to fall. Once a sixties design of utopian excitement, this South London area of Elephant and Castle is facing regeneration once more. As the long-term residents of the towering estates are retired to peripheral housing, a hunt begins. An on-going battle between the Southwark Council closing up shop and multi-cultural squatters fighting London’s high cost of living. The council employs a company of welders to seal up each individual apartment with sheet metal within 24 hours of them being emptied. They do this at great speed in an attempt to keep squatters of all descriptions from gaining access - many times they fail. Demolition is scheduled to begin imminently, when these massive structures, once full of life, stories and routine will be washed away and forgotten. Basic legal rights mean a court order is required to evict the unwanted lodgers, and while council types grow increasingly frustrated, groups of friends form, reform and rejoice at the reality of another night of relative sanctuary. These images are lifted from a corner of time I was able to share through the good grace of human exchange, with talk and reason and honest expression. Visit Adam Patterson website: http://www.adampatterson.net/portfolio/squatters/

AMASS: Towards an Economy of the Commons

Saturday, 16 April 2011, 2:00–5:00pm, Chisenhale 64 Chisenhale Road, London E3 5QZ In the face of mass cuts to public services, emerging forms of governance rampantly colonizing intellectual resources in the digital domain, and new narratives of the Big Society in the UK, what does the commons mean for us today? How can we approach a new protocol for the commons under such circumstances? AMASS (derived from the verb, 'to amass') is an open platform for roundtable discussions exploring new models and practices for sustaining the commons today. AMASS invites organisations, collectives and individuals working within the cultural sector and creative industries to contribute by presenting past experiences, present practices, and future ambitions concerning mutual aid, pooled knowledge, networked infrastructures and modes of self-organisation. These case studies can be drawn from personal experiences in various sectors, geographical locations both provincial and international, or through accounts of historical manifestations. Through these exchanges we wish to collectively investigate our strategies, successes, and failures, considering the obstacles and potentialities for the development of the commons. Following the event, all materials will be collated into an open online archive, which will serve as a generative research database for future endeavours.

http://amateuristnetwork.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/amassfacebook.jpg?w=500&h=500

squatting from Brazilian perspective

The Brazilian photographer Julio Bittencourt & his homage to the inhabitants of the tower 911 Prestes Maia in São Paulo: largest squat in the world until eviction of the residents in 2006.

Read the story on: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/feb/07/prestes-maia-bittencourt-squat-brazil

how art can change it ...

Tom Hunter's most famous image is of a young woman by a window, reading a letter. It is called 'Woman reading a Possession Order' and comes from a series titled Persons Unknown. At the time, he was himself living in a squat and the woman was his next-door neighbour. He was trying to make an image that expressly contradicted the politically inspired propaganda of the time, which depicted squatters as inherently antisocial troublemakers.
One morning, letters arrived from the local council, addressed to “persons unknown”, telling them they were being evicted. Remarkably, his photograph attracted so much attention that the planned demolition of the houses they were occupying never went ahead...
Read full story:
http://tomhunter.org/html/news.php

That's exactly what this project is about.

organization - basics!

At the moment there are four photographers who want to particapate!
I'm interested in social aspects of life in collective or group, my friends are into:
Intimacy & private side of squatting
Relations between people and spaces they occupy
Portraiture 
That's only four people for now,  but we need more!!!

the mission is...

Squatting, like all social issues, exists in public perception in many conflicting representations. The image has changed many times over the past couple of decades. Current situation is way out of balance, mainstream media stories portray it often like a plague for a society. Adding to that, rapidly spreading rumours about bringing Criminal Act by government, does not help our situation. I want therefore to bring together as many creative people, that live in squats or symphatize with us, to create platform that can influence public opinion.
Tactic:
To achieve that, I want to gather artists, writers, academics and others, who want to produce work that could be exhibited, displayed, published, in pop-up galleries - created in squatted buildings, with flash mob organized audience & open to general public as well, until possible. With guerrilla tactic, we can get our voice being heard.
Message:
I want to show squatting, as something positive, different to "normal" - but definetely positive. I want to show a celebration of life & all its aspects that cross with squatting.
 I hope we can get this message heard.