In 1980, the SNCF agreed to rent out space in 19 rue des Frigos in the 13th arrondissement of Paris to artists. In spite of the bricked up, dilapidated, squatter inhabited setting, many artists flocked to this industrial wasteland. In 1985, a Parisian property agency offered to manage the site for the SNCF with a view to likely demolition. The SNCF agreed and many buildings were demolished. The site was renovated and let out again, this time to entrepreneurs and designers. These people have created a vibrant professional and artistic space. After months of building works, les Frigos have become true artists’ workshops. Come and see for yourselves when the doors are open to the public on May 30 and 31 (a stone’s throw from the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand) !
