2024-06-27 02:21:58
Slovak Mateo studied sociology, however within the first 12 months the “conventional” lifestyle stopped making sense to him. He hitchhiked to Barcelona, the place he lived for 10 years in squats in numerous locations throughout Catalonia, immediately he lives with different individuals in a former sewage remedy plant in Groningen, the Netherlands. They arrange the Waterskaap autonomous group heart in an deserted constructing. “I could not stay within the residence anymore,” he says.
“There was a live performance right here yesterday, so we’re simply cleansing up,” says 32-year-old Mateo, who has been dwelling in a squat in Groningen, the Netherlands, since final August. With an Englishman, 5 Dutchmen and one Polish lady, they created a profitable group heart, Waterskaap Social Middle Groningen, from a former sewage remedy plant on the outskirts of town. “This is the schedule for the entire month,” he factors to a framed overview of occasions on the wall.
Photograph: Archive Aktuálně.cz
They arrange private and non-private occasions with numerous themes in addition to underground techno events and live shows. “Each college students from the native college and locals come right here. Typically it is a very fascinating mixture of every kind of individuals,” says Mateo as he lights a cigarette.
He lived in a squat in Barcelona for ten years, then in France, touring in his camper van. Though he initially studied sociology, finding out solely with the aim of a profitable profession didn’t make sense to him. After the primary 12 months, he hitchhiked overseas and regularly started to make a dwelling as a sound engineer, stage builder or installer of photo voltaic techniques.
“My supply broke down and I wanted to earn cash rapidly. A buddy supplied me to work with him in a Dutch firm that installs photo voltaic panels,” Mateo describes how he acquired to Groningen.
A part of the 12 months he works, a part of the 12 months he travels
“I had a rented room right here and one night I went for a stroll with my canine alongside a path I did not know but. That is after I got here throughout an deserted constructing {that a} group of native individuals had been opening,” he says. Squat started to go to extra typically, acquired to know the locals and, based mostly on his experiences, started to construct the foundations of the long run group. He changed the van with a truck, which he’s changing into a house.
“A part of the 12 months I work and a part of the 12 months I stay as a nomad touring round Europe along with a sound system and shut buddies who share comparable values. We’re like an enormous household,” describes Mateo, who’s presently “tenting” subsequent to the constructing the place they arrange most likely essentially the most different and non-commercial occasions in Groningen.
“I work as a sound engineer and deal with the stage,” says Mateo in a big room the place there’s a bar, a stage, a foosball desk, and when there aren’t any live shows, chairs and tables for sitting. Techno events happen underground, the place guests can attain by stairs below the stags.
“When there was water right here,” Mateo factors to the blue pipe already within the underground areas. “We pumped it out for 2 months,” he describes, including that he additionally put in all of the electrical energy within the constructing and positioned photo voltaic panels on the roof. “The one drawback right here is with ingesting water, we solely have business water,” he says. Consuming water is dealt with by transporting it in particular containers.
Photograph: Archive Aktuálně.cz
There can be residences as an alternative of a squat
They simply completed the Pigeon pageant, which was attended by as much as 600 individuals and performed experimental music, acoustic, punk and freetechno. No less than as soon as every week they arrange live shows or cook dinner vegan delicacies on Sundays, with the truth that guests can voluntarily donate to bands and squats.
They don’t have an issue with the locals as a result of the sewage remedy plant is positioned at a distance from the residential space. At present, the constructing belongs to the water firm, which plans to demolish it for the wants of builders and construct residences instead. “It is a part of an enormous city planning mission. It would not simply concern us, but additionally the close by gardeners, sheep breeders and the canine coaching space,” says Mateo.
“The final inspection of the 12 months will are available October and it will likely be determined what and the way. They can not demolish the constructing if there are bats in it, so we’ll see,” says Mateo, who would not need to present his face on digicam, as a result of, similar to within the Czech Republic, there’s squatting within the Netherlands unlawful.
“Nevertheless, the fact is that when you stay in a publicly owned constructing within the Netherlands and nothing occurs to it, it is not such an issue,” explains the person initially from Bratislava. “I come house yearly, that is sufficient for me. If I needed to stay there, I might be as annoyed as I used to be years in the past. It is sufficient for me to activate the information and see that the identical issues are nonetheless being solved, and possibly even worse,” he says .
As everybody makes, so everybody has
It’s the concept of group dwelling that offers Mateo that means. “I discover it absurd the concept an individual is born, then research and works all his life. These days, furthermore, some secondary enterprise faculties cooperate with particular corporations in such a method that an individual goes on to work for them. He spends his complete life there and has three weeks of freedom for 12 months, which can also be restricted by his earnings,” thinks Mateo, who’s looking for an alternative choice to the present world.
“I can not think about dwelling in an residence. As an digital music producer, I most likely would not have good relations with my neighbors. I hate limiting myself and others,” he says, including that he definitely would not contemplate dwelling in a squat uncomfortable. “As everybody makes, so everybody has. I lived in very nice locations in Spain,” he factors out.
“Everyone seems to be cozy right here in their very own caravan and the constructing serves as frequent areas,” he provides in conclusion, including that he must finish the interview as a result of he has a web based interview forward of him. “It is for a sound engineer for a pageant within the Netherlands,” Mateo says as he prepares a desk and chair in entrance of the stage and reads a notepad.
Video: Squats weren’t nearly occupying property. They used to boost consciousness, it is a disgrace they disappeared, says Kontra (26/10/2022)
Buildings obtained content material, if solely briefly. Folks in them advocated for the preservation of the locality, helped to wash the buildings, created low-threshold golf equipment. | Video: Michael Rozsypal