Artists take over plush London mansion

A group of artists have taken over a building in London's swanky Mayfair district, transforming the former Mexican embassy into a cultural centre for emerging artists. However, they now face eviction.

Calling their movement "The Oubliette", the squatters broke into the plush building -- and the one next door -- about a month ago, though they kept it quiet until this week when they announced 10 days of events to promote their collective.

Inside the building, they have created what they call the Art Room, comprising a theatre, exhibition rooms and even a bar.

The owners want them out and the squatters are due to appear in court on Monday.

They are staying silent on how they entered the six-storey buildings containing more than three dozen rooms, which are valued jointly at tens of millions of pounds.

"That's a great secret," said their spokesman Dan Simon, a 31-year-old Briton who emigrated to New Zealand as a child.

He said they had the keys, adding that the buildings had been empty since 2004.

The six hardcore squatters have electricity -- which they pay for -- running water, and free food.

"The irony of living in a squat is that you can actually be in one of the most expensive areas in town and eat excellent food from supermarket stacks" -- food thrown out the back by stores -- and most recently it was sushi.

Though Simon insists they are "not doing anything illegal", there is an air of nervousness about the house, particularly when one of the six comes running down the stairs to alert the others after spotting a police van.

It was a false alarm and everyone returned to their quarters.

Philip Firsov, a painter and sculptor of Russian origin, gets back to work soldering together the pieces of a metal sculpture representing a human figure.

His work will be on show during the planned open days at the house, where the public will be able to take part in workshops and activities.

"The Oubliette" wants to "raise awareness of the art project, recruit new members and find new talent".

Simon said the former Mexican embassy was only an "interim base" to get the collective set up while they look for a permanent space where burgeoning artists "are not only creating and showcasing their work, but also meeting each other, networking.

"We need a much bigger space. Ideally, what we are looking for is a very large derelict commercial unit in central London," he said, while standing in the hallway, filled with furniture reclaimed from the streets and the squatters' artwork.

The group is trying to convince landlords of the many properties left empty during the recession to let them occupy the building, in return for looking after it for no cost.

"We provide 24-hour property security for no cost, we do maintenance work, we clean up the area," he said.

Simon said his collective was "business-like without being a business" because they were breathing new life into empty buildings.

"If you have a derelict building it can devalue the neighbouring properties by 18 percent," he said.

He arrived in London 10 years ago and worked for two years for an information technology company, but just, he said, to survive.

Then he began riding one of the three-wheeled rickshaws which ferry tourists around London's West End.

"I was looking for liberation in the sense of freedom and I found it in the streets with my rickshaw and in empty buildings," he said.

Now he is focused on winning the legal battle to stay in the former Mexican embassy. He reckons the group have a "reasonable chance".

If they fail, they already have their eye on three other properties, one of which is "perfect" for their project, Simon said.

"We have to keep pressing forward. We have a momentum," he said.