If you’re a lover of art and looking for something a bit different, then alternative art places are definitely worth exploring. These spaces often bring together unique artistic experiences that showcase both established and emerging talent from around the world.
Not only is this an awesome way to discover new pieces of work, but it also provides an opportunity to connect with like-minded people! So why not switch up your usual art gallery visits and explore the world of alternative art spaces?
This is a great option to avoid the crowd. For instance, you could visit 59 Rivoli, one of the best non touristy things to do in Paris, or Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen.
What is Alternative Art?
Let’s start with an alternative art definition. The alternative art is a counter-cultural cultural movement, on the margins of society. It is against mass culture et consumption society.
The Alternative Movements include social movements gravitating around alternative artists‘ squats as well as ecologist and pacifist movements. They privilege non-violent forms of action of civil disobedience as part of a citizen approach and a self-management culture.
Social movements are often led by individuals who are dissatisfied with society nowadays. They voluntarily set themselves aside from this consumer society in order to create their own community dictated by norms corresponding to their values.
They seek their fulfilment in deliberately simpler and more natural ways of life. That’s why they usually chose to settle far from the cities at the beginning.
Alternative Art Backgrounds
The first “back to nature” communities were found in the USA. The renewed interest in pagan animist cults influenced the movement a lot. It is the belief in a spirit or vital force that animates human beings, objects but also natural elements. They were looking for a new spirituality.
The atypical functioning of alternative communities allows the massive development of art of any kind, with loads of different alternative art materials…
I’ve encountered a few mind blowing alternative places during my travels. It’d be a shame to keep them a secret : Freetown Christiania Copenhagen & 59 Rivoli Paris.
Freetown Christiania
Have you ever been to Freetown Christiania during a Copenhagen Travel ? Or heard of it ? It’s an intentionally self-managed community, that has self-proclaimed itself free.
According to them, they do not belong to Denmark nor the European Union. When you leave the district there is a “You’re now entering the EU” sign. Each individual has to participate in the proper functioning of the community.
Viktor Essmann created it in September 1971 with a group of squatters, unemployed and hippies. There have been quite a few alternative communities in Europe.
But that is one of the few libertarian communities that is still active in Northern Europe. It is more and more visited by tourists, but not as much as other alternative art spaces such as Camden.
Camden is my actual favorite place on earth, it’s a living alternative art gallery ! Check out my London at Christmas Time video to see what it looks like.
About 1000 people still live there all year, in certain simplicity and poverty. They have their own money, cultural activities, alternative art forms, bars… like a normal city but according to its own rules. Art is the essence of the district. Street art is on every building. I’ll let the photos below speak for themselves.
They also have a particular interest in Oriental practices, yoga, and all kinds of substances capable of producing altered states of consciousness.
That is why the history of the community has often been agitated. It’s very common to buy cannabis in this neighborhood, and not hidden at all.
The police and the government repeatedly threatened to destroy the neighborhood if the trade continued, so hard drugs have thus been formally prohibited.
They were threatening the survival of the community anyways. But the police tolerates the sale of cannabis, in the “Pusher Street” only.
Christiania only has 9 laws that prohibit weapons, violence, cars, bullet-proof vests, the sale of fireworks and theft. There is no private property in fact, all houses belong to the community.
59 Rivoli
59 Rivoli is another cultural alternative. The goal of this place is to democratize access to art creation. It gives artists a space to create and be exhibit their art. On the other side, it offers people free access to living art. By “living art”, I mean not only the art separated from their means of production, as in museums.
This squat was born in 1999 thanks to 3 men who took over the walls of a building abandoned by the French State. Their mission, which attracted a dozen other artists, was to rehabilitate the place found in a state of dumping.
The goal of this operation was threefold: to resuscitate an uncultivated place, to allow artists to create, to have a place to live and exhibit, and last but not least: to prove the merits of an alternative cultural policy.
They have almost been expelled several times, but the “squart” phenomenon (contraction of squat and art) was very publicized. It forced the government and the Minister of Culture to look at it differently.
With 40,000 visitors in one year, the squat has become the 3rd most visited Center of Contemporary Art in Paris. While you’re in Rivoli, I suggest relaxing in Jardin du Luxembourg, one of the best parks in Paris.
And you, are there any alternative places that have blown your mind away ? I’d be very interested to hear your stories !
