les UX

Les UX is the name of an operating since the 1970s French underground organization, which has taken on the task of reviving hidden corners of Paris in secret, mostly nocturnal actions with self-financing and to repair neglected cultural assets around which the city government not or not sufficient care. The idea originally came from the United Kingdom; Therefore, the name also refers to the English urban experiment ( en.: Urban Experiment) back.

Structure

The association has claims to nearly 150 members and is divided into ten different teams with different tasks. For example there is a women group for infiltration, the creeps after closing in museums, quick ways through the underground electric and gas network searches and alarm systems off. Another group is based on an internal messaging system and a coded radio network and a third operates the database. The fourth group is explained in the following section LMDP, the underground events organized and a team of photographers is the fifth division. The sixth set the sub Gunther. About the other four is not known.

LMDP

La Mexicaine de perforation ( LMDP ) is responsible for the organization and direction of underground parties and events. The members expressed the view that the underground of Paris unused public space, maintain it and open it for the initiated. In ancient catacombs or abandoned metro stations festivals are celebrated, where you are in a legal gray zone. The majority, however, the actions are illegal, but can be traced hardly legally due to the lack of clarity with no restrictions of the participants.

The most famous action of the LMDP was the construction of an underground cinema under the boulevards of the 16th arrondissement, not far from the Palais de Chaillot and the former site of the Cinémathèque française. It made ​​semicircular stone benches, built a canvas, set up a bar, a dining room, pantry and other small spaces. Several years were the Les Arenes de Chaillot, as the place was called, a popular meeting place underground with music performances and summer film festivals. On 23 August 2004, the police received an anonymous phone call with regard to the venue. The police brigade of underground quarries marched out and found the abandoned cinema. When the forces returned later for a full investigation, the entire interior was removed and taken away. Only a sign that says "You do not have to look only " could be ensured. Since then, the theater is set up at different locations. The concealed information about the local events are always marked with a picture of a little dancing Mexican.

Under Gunther

The most famous team of les UX are the sub Gunther, who are dedicated to the practical restoration. The emphasis is placed on this usually hidden installations or equipment or invisible cultural heritage, which are culturally and historically important, but never fall to the ordinary citizen in the eye and stand in the background. The group's name was developed out of necessity: To keep passersby from the nocturnal activities, they always played a CD with loud barking of two dogs from. Since bringing in France watchdogs usually with the breed of the German Shepherd in connection were sought German name for the two animals and agreed to Günther and entertainment, such as underground.

Among the members of the teams will also the architect and historian. Over the years, the sub- Gunther renovated including a century-old abandoned government bunker and a crypt of the 12th century. Into the Light of the public are only attained through a conscious manifestation of her work: In November 2005, some activists had in the national pantheon, the Pantheon, crept to repair the movement of the clock in 1850, which stood still for 40 years. They hid in the building, got hold of the key, shut himself at night and filmed the work under the documentation entitled " Panthéon - Instructions for use ". With the help of professional clockmaker Jean -Baptiste Viot, who had to make numerous spare parts, succeeded in 300 working hours and at a cost of 4,000 euros to set the mechanism in motion again. Viot estimates the value of the work even at 13,000 euros. Following the chief curator of the Pantheon has been advised of the success in knowledge in October 2007. This responded with a lawsuit against four of the participants, which was however rejected after only twenty minutes of hearing by the court. The sub Gunther stood after the hearing, however, the focus of the media. In order to maintain anonymity, one certain Lazar Kunstmann spokesman kicking since the only member of les UX to the public.