On November 1st, 1999, three young guys decided to occupy an old building in the center of Paris. This space had been abandoned for 15 years by the French Government, so they took it over.
As soon as they opened the cemented door, many young artists joined the initiative and began cleaning up the building, which was full of animals and garbage. The young artists recognized the potential and worked hard to create a space where artists could live, create, and be free to express themselves fully.
This is the story of how the art collective “Chez Robert, Electron Libre” became one of the most famous spaces in the Parisian underground scene. They encountered some problems with the police and the government at first, but in the end, it was decided that since they are so good in what they do, they should be allowed to run the place with complete autonomy.
59 Rivoli is open six days a week, from 1pm to 8pm. They have 30 art studios, a concert hall, a social center, and a kitchen. So next time you are in Paris, take a few hours to visit and support these creative young people. The entrance is, of course, free.