A Tale of A Tub

A Tale of A Tub is a non-profit institution for contemporary art and culture located in the former washhouse and bathhouse of the Justus van Effencomplex in Spangen, Rotterdam. Throughout the complex—which was built in 1922 for the city's dockworkers and continues to function as a residential apartment block, now deemed a 'living monument' to social housing—modernist ideals of rationalism and self-sufficiency are reflected in the design the building and the sense of community emphasised through architectural planning. In this way, and when in operation, the bathhouse and washhouse formed the centrepiece of the complex, and was a place where residents met to bathe and launder together. As the only contemporary art space in Spangen and inspired by the historical, communal and residential circumstances of our location, A Tale of A Tub works with artists, curators, writers and practitioners from various fields of research to develop context-responsive projects that are intersectional in nature and often based on dialogue with the neighbourhood. As such, our program draws on the social impulse of the site, developing exhibitions, events, education initiatives and publishing projects to bring a range of people, places and (urgent) ideas into conversation through art.