Using Space Four

using space four mujinga oct09 2 35 space“ – a gallery putting on exhibi - sizeable swathe of said young peo - tions and performances wherever it ple, but fellow !WOWOW! member can beg and borrow space – is called Gareth Pugh has achieved even more „The Centre of the Universe“. While fame as a fashion designer. Stone re - Discontents modesty may be in short supply, hu - counts a group of models arriving for mour is not. Stone laughs at the proj - a fitting only to be told by a policeman ect having a „musical director“ and as that they‘d got the wrong building be - for his title, „I haven‘t thought of one cause „only homeless people live SWOMP - Amsterdam 4 ostentatious enough to give myself there“. There aren‘t many fashion de - yet. But as much as it’s tongue in signers feted by Vogue who live in cheek it’s also a recognition of the squats. So is there something odd fact that we‘re serious about what about seeing his friend’s designs on In the news 9 we‘re doing.“ Beyonce and co? „I think it’s amazing, that’s exactly what he wanted to This seriousness also informs his rea - achieve and he’s worked tirelessly to SquatMeetUp Report - Bristol 10 sons for squatting. Amid the romantic do it. I think this idea of defining an zeal is a more political motivation – underground as something which a the desire for „art to be able to exist in minority of people can appreciate is its own context, without the primary quite an elitist idea anyway.“ The shape left by its absence 14 aim of commodifying its output. Squatting is a necessity for an artist And despite hosting a weekly salon, trying to find ways to work without and the preponderance of „all my ab - commercial constraints.“ Many would stract rhetoric“, Stone is anything but Kraakverbod fotoreport 20 feel that a life free of commercial con - elitist. Inclusivity and an enthusiasm straints is a luxury rather than a ne - for collaboration come bound up in cessity but Stone is quick to point out the idea of optimism, to which he has that he and his friends never claimed so sincerely wedded himself that Squatting in Lund, Sweden 24 benefits. „Everybody was just finding Norman Rosenthal declared he had a way in the city to survive. People coined a fresh „-ism“. would make 20 quid a week doing a But as Stone acknowledges, every Takeover of foreclosed homes 28 DJ gig or something and we‘d use su - new generation has its idealism. permarket bins for food. I have no „There is that phrase ‚youthful opti - problem with artists selling work but I mism‘, but I think we need to work to think it’s a really important message find ways to extend the life of it. The Artist squatters 29 to send out to young people – that we truth is, anybody can change the can take creativity back into our world.“ He pauses. „It’s important! It’s hands rather than having it sold back heroic!“ and then he bursts into The using space series is available online at zinelibrary.info and mujinga.net to us at a higher price.“ laughter. Check squatworld.blogsport.de for more squatting news stories online Stone is something of a hero to a Source - The Guardian Find more info at squat.net, indymedia and your local social centre... 34 3 S.W.O.M.P. On July 11, 2008, a group of people from It is the fourth time activists have squat - worked in the Bickleigh for a year with the idea of it, but also with get - the Pijp squatting group and Groenfront! ted a piece of land in the Pijp and by far after she left her job in PR to start the ting to London and being part of a dy - Amsterdam squatted a vacant lot at the most successful action. They are gallery. „For people for whom it isn‘t a namic group of young people doing Rustenbergerstraat 438-440. A school protesting against unnecessary demoli - means to an end, there is always a things. It’s that romantic idea of hav - had previously stood on the land and was tion and speculation as well as taking ac - romance to a building for which there ing a space that is your own that you demolished against the wishes of the tion in support of local neighbourhoods is no fee. But my time there was no can kind of do anything with.“ neighbourhood, probably to prevent it for a sustainable future. more or less romantic than any other being squatted. There are currently no I was there for the squat action and also building I‘ve lived in.“ And most other After graduating from Camberwell plans for the site, which has a tree which visited again in April [2009] when I buildings don‘t come with bucket College of Art, Stone and his friends is protected by permits. Previous land happened to be in the area. It was really showers, or indeed, room entrances squatted their first building, a Co-op squats had been evicted quite brutally by cool to see the changes and get inspired via cramped cupboards. „It conserves flagship store from the 1930s in south police so this time the activists were by the spring energy - seems like the heat,“ explains Dowler, firmly shutting London. The space may not have prepared - they were in large numbers, Netherlands is a bit ahead of the UK in the door behind him as we squeeze been his own in any formal sense but had the support of local residents and terms of seasons, so everything in the into the main living space on the first he and his friends certainly did „kind made sure their caravans were well garden was already sprouting. floor. He describes himself as „a bit of of anything“ with it. Four empty floors, secured in the ground! a dictator“ yet, strangely, the rigid including a huge old ballroom, were After one month, the project declared Here follows an interview with someone house rules and hierarchy grant a filled with exhibitions, screenings, per - itself a free state and the residents living at SWOMP... certain amount of mental freedom. formances and, of course, some large pledged to live in a carbon neutral fash - Knowing who’s doing the washing-up parties. These have taken on a bit of ion on the site. Instead of waiting for Q: First off, I read somewhere on the internet that day, he explains, gives everyone a mythic quality, particularly the one local government to decide what to do that you are not squatting, but rather wild more space to think about their art. where George W Bush’s niece, Lau - with the land they decided to take action camping “illegally”. That's not true is it? ren Bush, turned up with security themselves! Permaculture gardens were Surely you have squatted the piece of land, !WOWOW!/The Centre of the guards in tow: „a nightmare“ says set up and solar panels were installed. the kadastral object? Universe Stone, „it was one of our bigger par - Local squat cafes are doing benefits in A: Well legally the law doesn't say any - ties – 1,500 people, massive sound support of the project. In September an thing about squatting land without build - Matthew Stone and members of system, half the people in fancy open day was held with speakers and dis - ings on it, only on building itself. So last !WOWOW! an artist collective based dress, just very friendly and silly, but cussions. Links have been made with the time they said something about illegally in Dalston, east London we spent the whole night running Transition Town movement, which in the camping at the previous SWOMP action, „Squatter“ must rank among the odd - around fulfilling the requests of the Netherlands appears to have a more but now we have some jurisdiction from est answers to „what do you want to police who took a sudden interest in radical spin than in England. They built a a judge that said land can be squatted as be when you grow up?“ but for the safety of people at our party.“ He straw bale house. Once a month they have well. Land squatting, land occupying, what - Matthew Stone, an artist at the centre admits that as far as the group’s repu - a Sunday afternoon when anyone is wel - ever, it’s our temporary autonomous of the !WOWOW! collective, it’s an tation goes, parties have tended to come to visit the space and look around. zone. unconventional childhood dream eclipse the art. His photographs of that’s been energetically lived out. club kids on comedowns, all dreamy „When I found out about it as a kid I gazes and entangled limbs, have S.W.O.M.P. = Slimme Woonwagenbewoners Op Mooie Plekjes remember being really worried that it done little to dampen this image. = Ingenious wagon-dwellers living on beautiful Spots would be illegal by the time I was able However, the latest project is heavier to do it,“ he says. „I was obsessed on the seriousness. This „nomadic art 4 33 half-covered in childish paintings of the national press, declares herself Q: So the garden was looking great when I The black currants are delicious, as well birds and a poem about freedom. indebted to 78 Lyndhurst Way, both visited in April - now I imagine a lot of things as the red berries, strawberries. Broccoli One artist, as Francis recounts with a an address and the name of the squat are growing - care to share what's exciting and different cabbages are growing.

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