For months, the future of Pablo Picasso's former Paris studio has been up in the air. In case you aren't familiar with the Grenier des Grands Augustins, it's the very spot Picasso painted his famous Guernica painting, and it was basically his home from 1937 until 1955.
Situated in the attic of 17th-century Hotel de Savoie, the workspace had been occupied by the Association du Comité National pour l'Éducation Artistique or CNEA for years. The French art organization utilized the space to host free art exhibitions, concerts, readings, and educational workshops. Then in August of last year, the studio's legal owners, the Chamber of Legal Bailiffs, decided to evict CNEA from the premises, resulting in an ongoing legal battle. Now, the Chamber allegedly wants to convert Picasso's former studio into a luxury hotel.
Needless to say, this recent development has got the art world in a tizzy. Several prominent figures in the art scene have written open letters to France's prime minister and Paris' mayor, urging them to save the Grenier des Grands Augustins, Art Media Agency reports.
[via ArtNetNews]
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