Tacheles art refuge in E. Berlin faces closure

BBC is reporting today:
"When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Tacheles, a ruined building in East Berlin, was taken over by artists. It became a centre of artistic subculture. It has been put up for sale and the artists served with an eviction order, so they have begun a campaign to buy it.
Until the end of 2008, the building's owners had allowed the artists to stay. Now, the owners are in debt and the bank has repossessed it with the aim of raising at least 3.5m euros. The artists say they have invested 300,000 euros so far and that the price is inflated.
Hundreds of artists and musicians from all over the world have worked at Tacheles, which will celebrate its 19th anniversary on 13 February with an exhibition of some of their best work. Visitors can wander in to watch the artists at work, and purchase artwork on sale.
The building's hallways are open to the public 24 hours a day and visitors are encouraged to leave their mark with graffiti on the wall. Linda Cerna, a spokeswoman, says Tacheles "is like a constantly changing art project" and estimates 300,000 people visit every year.
One of the most famous artists working in Tacheles is Alexandr Rodin, from Belarus. Located in Berlin’s commercial art gallery district, Mitte, Tacheles is the last remnant of its avant-garde past. Berlin’s alternative subculture now happens where rents are cheaper.
The five-storey building has around 30 studios, which can be rented cheaply, but artists can also use Tacheles to exhibit and sell their work. This exhibition combines paintings by Alexandr Rodin and installations by Mitrich, also from Belarus.
The building, which was constructed in 1909 as a luxury department store, also contains a theatre which can be used for plays or concerts. Here, members of the German Symphony Orchestra are performing.
A dress by Astrid Hanka. There are divisions between the artists about the future of the Tacheles and how commercial it should become. But on one thing they are united: that Tacheles should not be sold off to developers. Photos by sumi-b, text by Damien McGuinness."

a link to the article and photos