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All Germany Dusseldorf Reinraum's Art Exhibits in a Public Toilet

Reinraum's Art Exhibits in a Public Toilet

An abandoned underground bathroom is now a space for public art.

Dusseldorf, Germany

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Ina
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A exhibit of local artists   thelittleowl (Atlas Obscura User)
A exhibit of local artists   thelittleowl (Atlas Obscura User)
Cat art, through the porthole   Ann Schomburg
The stairs are at the corner of Adersstraße   Image capture Sep 2008
Art (and music) down under   thelittleowl / Atlas Obscura User
Bottom of the entrance stairs   Ann Schomburg
There is a variety of types of work installed or hung   thelittleowl / Atlas Obscura User
Some bathroom art at Reinraum   Retinafunk
The space is also used for music and events   thelittleowl / Atlas Obscura User
Tape art Installation by BARTO   bartotainment
The exhibits and events are always changing   Retinafunk
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About

There is an underground public bathroom in Düsseldorf's city center that went unused, unloved, and for 10 years, nearly unnoticed. It took a scrappy band of local artists to see its potential, taking on the abandoned space to create a community art and performance venue called “Reinraum.”

The entrance is tucked away between neighborhood shops, hotels and burger joints, down a nondescript flight of stairs. Framed by bright green walls, the concrete steps lead to 64.5 square feet of subterranean galleries lined in subway tile and old urinals.

Since 2002, Reinraum has used the unexpected space to further the cause of providing art for the public sphere. Acting as a collective, the 45 members provide their time and effort to support Düsseldorf's diverse cultural landscape, organizing distinctive and disparate art exhibits, live music and themed events year-round.

Ironically, the name Reinraum means “clean room,” as you’d expect to see at a microelectronic plant or medical lab. According to the group, it’s meant to suggest the purest possible conditions for artists to create. Sometimes the clean room just happens to be an old underground bathroom.

Related Tags

Community Center Art Installations Underground Bathrooms

Know Before You Go

Reinraum is in the city's main commercial district, directly across the street from the Düsseldorf City Center Hotel. Look for the stairway with a small fence around it in the middle of the triangle. They are not open every day, so for events and exhibits check the website to the right.

Community Contributors

Added By

thelittleowl

Edited By

PhilippS

  • PhilippS

Published

January 11, 2017

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  • http://www.art-magazin.de/szene/spaces/8789-rtkl-spaces-reinraum-duesseldorf-spaces-reinraum-duesseldorf
Reinraum's Art Exhibits in a Public Toilet
30a Adersstraße
at the corner of Hüttenstraße
Dusseldorf
Germany
51.218165, 6.780955
Visit Website
Get Directions

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