Courbefy goes for €520,000

THE abandoned village of Courbefy has been sold for €520,000 to an American photographer.

South-Korean-born Ahae has not yet said what he plans to do with the hamlet, now reported to consist of 21 buildings (19 were previously mentioned), stables, a swimming pool and a tennis court.

A spokesman for the artist said however the project would be “environmental, artistic and cultural”.

Ahae, who is presenting a photographic series at the Tuileries from June 26 called Through My Window, has stated that he is always on the look-out for sites where he can put into practice his “concepts of an organic lifestyle”.

Only two other parties had signed up to bid against him, each represented by an avocat. They were a Belgian company, seeking to create a centre for disabled people and Dutch reality TV company Endemol (makers of Big Brother, Star Academy, Secret Story, The Voice etc) who wanted to run a show where people taking part would have done the village up.

Abandoned once villagers left, an attempt was made to run Courbefy as a hotel and restaurant complex, but Crédit Agricole put it on sale in bankruptcy proceedings. It failed to attract interest at a first sale, but then gained worldwide notoriety.