Tucked beneath the giant Älvsborg bridge sits an old industrial boiler house which powered Gothenburg’s factories for decades. When industry dried-up the station was abandoned, and taken over by the city’s graffiti artists and party-goers, who held all-night raves in its enormous halls.
Today, Röda Sten (Red Rock) is one of Sweden’s most extraordinary spaces for contemporary art, run on a not-for-profit basis since the mid-90’s. The buildings high ceilings and exposed brick walls present edgy, often groundbreaking, installations, such as explorations into “Alternative Relationships” and cross-dressing rap videos challenging sexuality stereotypes in Afghanistan.
When you’re done exploring, stop for lunch at the gallery’s ground-floor café which serves traditional Swedish cuisine, and hosts weekly live music. Or simply enjoy a beer on the riverside terrace, watching in awe as the huge Stena Line ferries roll in from Germany and Denmark.
