(Photo: Garrett Ziegler on Flickr)
The 5 Pointz building was a world-famous haven for spray-paint artists, until it was whitewashed in 2013 and then torn down to make way for luxury apartments. Now the owner of the Long Island City property is in court defending himself against artists who say the demolition destroyed their property.
“The art has to be recognized as of value,” said Judge Frederic Block, explaining the central legal point to the jury. “You are going to hear experts testify, and they are not going to agree with each other.”