Although the Municipality of Copenhagen has announced that the artistic growth layer must have jobs in the capital that are paying, several cases show that BKF is involved in pushing the artists out of the city. Partly by private landlords' rent increases and demolition plans, partly by the municipality itself, which in a current case wants to evict seven artists from a tenancy in Kødbyen, which they have had for 15 years.
As an artist, if you can find a studio in Copenhagen that can pay for an artist's income, you are lucky. And you stick to it as long as you can. But a number of cases in which the Association of Visual Artists (BKF) is involved show that the cheap artists' studios are under severe pressure in the capital:
"Unfortunately, we are currently seeing a number of cases where artists lose cheap workshops they have had for years. There are various reasons for this, but the consequence is that it has become increasingly difficult to work as an artist in the capital. It is a worrying development, and goes directly against the stated political ambitions in the area," says Klaus Pedersen, lawyer at the Association of Visual Artists.
Kunstnerplads, studio community Staldgade 74C. Photo: Atelier community.
He refers to Copenhagen Municipality's decision earlier this year to make premises on Halmtorvet available for 25-30 temporary artist spaces.
The decision was a reaction to a new one examination, which Copenhagen Municipality's Council for Visual Arts is behind together with the Association of Visual Artists and UKK - Organization for Artists, Curators and Art Mediators.
The study showed that Copenhagen lacks artist spaces and that the existing ones are too expensive. According to the survey, the situation is so dire that 75 percent of those questioned express that they are considering leaving the capital for the same reason.
In connection with the publication of the report, Culture and Leisure Mayor Franciska Rosenkilde (Å) said:
"It is both a political vision and a responsibility that we have a vibrant and diverse art and cultural life in Copenhagen. An important part of that is to focus on the performing arts, on the artist's terms. That's why I'm really happy that we can now offer some much-needed artist spaces."
But in one of the current cases that BKF is involved in, the municipality's own property company throws seven artists at the gate in the very same area, Kødbyen, where the culture mayor a few months ago offered the city's artists temporary workshop spaces.
It is unacceptable, says culture and leisure mayor Franciska Rosenkilde (Å), now in a written comment to BKF:
"We cannot single-handedly allocate funds for new artist spaces in one area at the same time that the municipality removes existing artist spaces from the same area. There is no way I can accept that.”
"More than ever, we need to prioritize the arts and the creative professions, so that they are not pushed out of the city due to rent prices and a lack of jobs. Situations like this confirm to me why there is still important work within culture, art and not least the conditions under which work is done," she says in connection with the current case, which is about the studio community Staldgade 74C in Kødbyen.
Uncertain future in Kødbyen
Here, Kristian Jon Larsen and six other artists and cultural workers stand to lose their studio community, which has existed for 15 years at the address in Kødbyen. The landlord is Københavns Ejendomme og Inkøb, and the lease is part of the offers that Copenhagen Municipality issues regarding cheap studio spaces in long-term empty buildings.
Photo: Atelierfællesskabet Staldgade 74C.
But on Tuesday, October 26, the members of the studio community received an email from Copenhagen Properties and Purchases informing them that it has been established that the property is only approved by the building authority for use as a warehouse, and that the property as a workshop for personal artistic practice is therefore is illegal.
This means that Københavns Ejendomme og Indkøb will terminate the artists' leases in the near future and transfer the lease to the neighboring company, as compensation for the impending demolition of its adjacent warehouse.
The termination came out of the blue, but is nevertheless in accordance with the studio community's contract, which implies that the lease can be terminated at any time with 14 days' notice.
Suddenly illegal
Still, it surprises Kristian Jon Larsen and his colleagues in the studio community that the municipality suddenly - after 15 years - finds that it is illegal to use the property as an artist's workshop.
"The landlord says that it will not be worthwhile to refurbish the building for use as a workshop for personal artistic practice. But currently the landlord has still not provided the report on which their decision is based. We have repeatedly asked for a specification of the points that we believe must be carried out, the budget for these and an answer to the extent to which some of these improvements must be carried out anyway, in connection with a new rental to the neighbour," says Kristian Jon Larsen.
"Right now, we need political support to stop the process and at the very least postpone our termination, as long as the case processing takes place and until a solution is found," he says.
At this time, BKF is focusing on several cases where artists are being forced out of studio communities in Copenhagen. Also read:
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