Inproject: shipping container art gallery
Nexo 42, in collaboration with Aurtenetxea Containers S.A., presented INPROJECT as a travelling exhibition space inside a maritime freight container.
The exhibition brought together artists from the UPV/EHU Faculty of Fine Arts.
The original announcement scheduled the presentation for 17, 18 and 19 October outside the Provincial Council of Biscay, on Gran Vía López de Haro in Bilbao.
Sebastián Toledo / Mikel Ruiz / Rosa Casposo / Aitor La Fuente / Diego Pérez / Esther Sáez / Urtzi Urkixo / Jonathan Escapan / Antoli Brasckoff / Igor Apugicio / Colectivo Amar / Raquel Gómez / María Muriedas / Ruben Pino / Jon Ander García / Cristina Arregui / Iñaki Sáez
Inproject turned a maritime module into a shipping container art gallery. Developed by Nexo 42 in collaboration with Aurtenetxea Containers, this travelling exhibition space brought work by artists from the UPV/EHU Faculty of Fine Arts to audiences in Bilbao.
The yellow exterior and large lettering identify the gallery from the street. With the doors open, timber lining continues into the interior, forming a backdrop for the framed artworks.
Customizable
The options are many as long as the habitability, watertightness and insulation standards are met. Both inside and outside you can paint, line wood, cladding, panels, etc.
Low prices
We are reusing a maritime container to adapt it to our needs, a transformation system that is already very present in countries such as Japan, the Netherlands or England and that allows us to offer anti-crisis prices, high qualities and short delivery times.
The containers we use are perfectly standardized, the most common being 10, 20 and 40 feet.
Each container is different, but similar in its resistant characteristics that make them suitable for transport.
The floor of the containers is in solidarity with the outer frame and the steel pillars. They are originally watertight and waterproof. They can be joined together by rigid or mechanical joints, and are stackable up to 5-6 heights depending on the load and use.
Energy saving
Factors such as sun protection, temperature, exposure environment and energy efficiency must be considered. There are systems that allow you to have a sustainable container and save energy depending on the use: recyclable materials, low environmental impact, high energy efficiency carpentry, energy saving installations using solar panels connected to underfloor heating, etc.
Versatility
Depending on the needs, they could be adapted to:
- Temporary or stable residence of one, two, three rooms or more.
- Office modules.
- Temporary businesses: kiosks, security posts, tourist office, stands, etc.
- Modules or annexes to the houses: tools houses in the garden, guest house or room modules.
- Bungalows located in camping.
A shipping container art gallery open to the street
The photographs show Inproject as both a yellow landmark beside the Provincial Council of Biscay building and an interior filled with visitors. Entry through the original doors keeps the container’s form visible and provides a view of the exhibition from outside.
Timber, lighting and an exhibition route
Timber boards line the walls, ceiling and inner faces of the doors. Pictures hang at different heights along the walls, leaving a central route for viewing them. Suspended lights and a narrow horizontal window complete the space.
The gallery includes images of the module closed and open, as well as visitors viewing the artwork. Together, they illustrate how a transport structure can become a small cultural venue with a distinctive presence in an urban setting.
A space for your next exhibition
For a travelling exhibition, tell us what you want to display and where. The Baluarte project explores a different relationship between art and containers, using the exterior as the artwork’s surface.