The whitewash in progress. via Instagram user joshiku Early Tuesday morning while most of us were sleeping, 5 Pointz, the vibrant Long Island City graffiti temple that welcomed 7 train riders to Queens, was painted white. The space’s whitewashing marks the end of a protracted legal battle between Meres One, the space’s coordinator and curator, and the building’s owners, developers Jerry and David Wolkoff, and the end of the building as a cultural touchstone. In August, the NYC Planning Commission approved the Wolkoffs’ proposal to demolish 5 Pointz in favor of new luxury high-rises. Meres and other artists sued claiming 5 Pointz was legally protected from alterations because the art covering it belonged to its creators, but graffiti was ultimately exempt from such protection and the lawsuit was dismissed. Then came the whitewash, one of the more depressing gestures of gentrification and sloppiest demonstrations of power I’ve ever seen in this city. For two… Read More
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