A new cultural district called FAST (Fiminco Art Studios), touted as the largest cultural quarter in Europe, has opened in Romainville, France, expanding from 11,000 to 40,000 square meters. The inauguration is celebrated with a free festival from June 18 to 27, featuring dance, outdoor cinema, concerts, workshops, and a rave party, marking the district's expansion into live performance with partnerships including the Philharmonie de Paris and the Théâtre du Châtelet.
This expansion matters because it solidifies Romainville's position as a major cultural hub in the Paris region, despite earlier criticism over gentrification and the departure of some galleries. The project, integrated into a large real estate development by the Fiminco group, now includes galleries, the Fiminco Foundation, the Paris campus of Parsons School of Design, and the FRAC Île-de-France reserves, signaling a significant shift in the geography of the art world beyond central Paris.