Prague art gallery to become the world's first fully-operational Airbnb "exhibit"

Prague Galerie NoD, located on Dlouhá street above the Roxy Club, will open a unique exhibit — and social experiment — this week.

From March 5, the art gallery will be transformed into a fully operational private flat furnished by the RAFANI artist collective, and available for rent by the public, either locals or visitors to Prague, through Airbnb.

The project is aimed at contributing to the current public debate about the impact of short-term rentals on the character of residential urban neighborhoods and on the availability of housing to long-time city dwellers.

But is it really the first-ever Airbnb that combines the gallery experience with that of a holiday rental?

“It probably is (one of) the very first projects that for a limited time period will convert a traditional white cube gallery space into real full-fledged apartment leasable on some online platform,” says Galerie NoD art director and the exhibition’s curator, Pavel Kubesa.

While the public will not be able to enter the flat there will be a video art installation adjacent to its entrance, shot inside the apartment, which brings the aesthetics of the flat into the public space.

The flat has a separate bedroom with a twin bed, bedside tables, and a wardrobe. The living room is furnished with a sofa and two armchairs. A fully furnished dining room can accommodate four guests. Toilet, bathroom, and kitchenette are accessible from the communal space.