Should culture be prioritized over rules and regulations?
A legal artist squat in central Paris
Earlier today I conducted an interview with Christophe Girard, an elected deputy in charge of culture and arts in the Paris region. The objective was to discuss the political viewpoint on the existence of artistic hideouts – which are often in poor physical condition – in the heart of the French capital.
On the one hand the cultural authorities want to support the livelihoods of artists and musicians alike whilst on the other they must uphold certain safety standards regarding the buildings in which artists carry out their daily creations.
This often poses tough decisions. Paris is a city which literally oozes habitants from artistic backgrounds. In which case, there is a sector of Parisian society which continues to live bohemian-style existences in properties whose level of security is often of a dubious nature.
According to The National Centre of Fine Arts in Paris, premises used professionally for artistic reasons are not required to pay any council tax nor is the proprietor obliged to pay any tax to the Inland Revenue. However, the National Centre of Fine Arts also stipulates that this exemption does not include areas of the premises used as a living space.
Regardless of what the law stipulates, habitants living inside these types of buildings are prone to take advantage of their fortunate situation and use the premises as a bona fide accommodation. This proves extremely dangerous when realizing that such buildings are lacking in security measures and prone to the risk of fire.
Parisian authorities are perceived to be on the side of the artist as opposed to the practical issues regarding safety.
“Buildings that don’t belong to the town don’t concern the state authorities,” said Girard. " We are always undergoing a negotiation process whereby we want to treat each case as humanely as possible.”
In other words Parisian authorities choose to turn a blind eye to poorly maintained properties in the private sector.
Indeed, this is great for genuine artists who can live out their embellished dreams of artistic expression without constant threat from authoritarian city authorities, but what about all those who live a life of lawlessness renting out illegal property which is sometimes in poor condition? Should they not be controlled?
