La gentrification et ses pionniers : le rôle des artistes off en question

This article aims at reassessing the role of artists, and more specifically the role of squatters in the gentrification process. The Anglo-American literature argues that artists influx, especially the underground ones (that we call off), is the key element to trigger the gentrification process in a...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Elsa Vivant, Éric Charmes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Métropoles 2008-09-01
Series:Métropoles
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/metropoles/1972
Description
Summary:This article aims at reassessing the role of artists, and more specifically the role of squatters in the gentrification process. The Anglo-American literature argues that artists influx, especially the underground ones (that we call off), is the key element to trigger the gentrification process in a neighbourhood. These artists are considered as pioneers of the symbolic revalorisation process and as the agent of atmosphere change that brings wealthier gentrifiers to settle down. This article reassesses this scheme, based on the case of Belleville neighbourhood in Paris. It relies on two pieces of researches.  The first one analyses the inhabitants’ point of view on their neighbourhood, in two gentrified streets. The second one focuses on real estate markets. It seems that artists are more indicators of gentrification than triggers or catalysers. They are part of a wider process that revalorises centrality and its resources (especially cultural ones). This is all the more pronounced since the “artist” ethos is spreading all over social structures.
ISSN:1957-7788