3 Seconds Of Art In A Parking Garage Gallery

You probably already guessed that ‘3sec.’ in the name refers to the time you’ll be able to look at the artworks on the walls of this gallery. But what may not come to your mind at first when you see the name is its specific location. 3sec.gallery is a gallery in a parking garage entrance in Dutch city Breda.

Breda, as a culturally empowering city, was no stranger to art being shown in parking garages, but nonetheless positioning it in a place most people consider a ‘non-place’ for art presented a challenge for the initiators, the Graphic Design Festival. They found that the grey and dark entrance of the Chassé parking garage needed transformation since it wasn’t reflecting on the fact that people parking in this specific garage were on their way to have a good time in a casino, movie theater or the City Hall.

3sec.gallery

3sec.gallery

Upon deciding which medium to use for the gallery walls they had in mind that people driving by won’t have a lot of time to reflect on art, 3 seconds that is, so they decided posters would be the best fit. According to Dennis Elbers, director of the Graphic Design Festival, posters support people’s accustomed need to process visual information in a fast pace, and are able to communicate a clear message to the passers-by in a split second. Artists are therefore offered 50 frames and 3 seconds to express themselves. The space can be used for a group show or to present a solo project.

On July 3rd the first 3sec.gallery show opened with a series of 47 posters.

On July 3rd the first 3sec.gallery show opened with a series of 47 posters.

The first exhibition was opened on July 3rd and is now coming to its end. On October 23rd the gallery is opening a new show, a solo project by local studio Staynice. Brothers Rob and Barry van Dijck of Staynice will be using their 50 frames to re-interpret the perception of the wall graphics.

The 3sec.gallery is a great example of support a city can show for this kind of interventions in public space as the municipal Department of Parking in Breda is the main sponsor of the production of the artwork occupying these 50 frames. Another great thing about this gallery is its opening times — it simply never closes. You can visit it all day, all year long. It can also be accessed by bike or on foot.