Les Frigos

Les Frigos

Les Frigos is an artistic site for production and creation, located at 19, rue des Frigos in the station district of the 13th arrondissement of Paris. It is part of the new Paris Left Bank development, between the National Library of France and Paris Diderot University.

History

Originally a refrigerated railway depot built in 1921, it became an industrial wasteland starting in 1971 following the displacement of Halles de Paris to the new International Market at Rungis. During the 1980's the building was occupied in the 1980s by new arrivals, artists and artisans, attracted by the great spaces and the quality of its thermal and sound insulation. The first occupants were squatters, a mixture of artists and non-artists (including, notably, Ben and Jérôme Mesnager). Rapidly, however, the successive occupants took to contracting for their occupation, and to paying rent. After the National Society of French Railways (SNCF), and following that the French Railway Network, Marie de Paris became the legal owner of the building starting from 31st December 2003. The storeys of the building have been converted into artists' studios, music studios etc. Since then, despite the hazards, ownership changes and redevelopment of the neighbourhood, the place has remained a benchmark among new "territories" of contemporary art.

Occupants

Over a hundred tenants work on the site, which includes ninety workshops. In 2010, rents for the premises equipped by the tenants ranged from around 500 to 2700€. Fifteen different professions carry out activities at Les Frigos, ranging from small firms to publishing houses, arts and crafts etc... There are artists, micro-companies and associations for managing rehearsal facilities for theatrical people or for musicians. This is the first location in France to have come up with, by pure chance, a professional site for "vertical mixing", bringing together these various professions. The wish of a great part of the tenants is to have the site legally positioned on the Paris Left Bank development programme for the 13th arrondissement.