New York City’s graffiti culture has officially succumbed to the times of shiny new luxury buildings and clean trains; 5 Pointz has been destroyed.
Days after supporters rallied to save the graffiti destination on Long Island City, 5 Pointz is now being painted white. 5 Pointz NYC, the “official” Twitter for the space, noted that the painting occurred overnight, “with police protection.”
According to the Gothamist:
The building, owned by the Wolkoff family, is being turned into luxury condos—the warehouse will actually be razed. The City Council approved the plan, noting 1,000 union jobs would be created, plus there would be 12,000 square feet of art space, 10,000 square feet of external panels for aerosol art, and 32,000 square feet of public space.
The Davis St. building is set to be demolished later this year to make way for a pair of luxury apartments, but not before adding salt to the wound by painting the artwork that covers the location.
The plan to build over the internationally renowned haven for urban artists was headed by the owners of the site, Jerry Wolkoff and his son David, and shockingly approved by the City Council in October.
The paint signifies the end of all hope to protect the space that follows filing a request for an injunction based on the Visual Artists Rights Act, which protects works of art that have “recognized stature,” much like those at 5 Pointz – or so they thought.
The biggest art crime was committed today by Jerry Wolkoff ..5pointz genocide
— 5 Pointz (@5PointzNYC) November 19, 2013
It’s a sad day indeed.
Check out more photos of the scene here. And read what Danny Simmons had to say about the demo here.
SOURCE: The Gothamist
