Auto Spa

The decommissioned Farnsworth Street underground car park at the Detroit Institute of Arts is reimagined as a dual-purpose auto storage facility and public art vitrine. A glass structure on the south lawn, at the entrance to the underground parking, serves as an architectural bridge between the street and the operational space below. Inside, a working car wash is transformed into a constantly changing contemporary art installation. Artists use car wash equipment—pulleys, brushes, and suds—to create uncanny works, blending everyday Motor City life with high art. Incorporating new technologies like extended reality and holography, visitors become part of the performance, discovering beauty in the mundane and humor in the unexpected. Visible from street level, the installations are accessible without tickets, offering museum-quality art in the public realm.

Faculty:

Anya Sirota