DRAINSPOTTING.ART

A visual survey of the overlooked aesthetics of urban design, bringing together drain cover imprints from cities worldwide.

For over 25 years, artist Alex Fischer has been exploring the hidden beauty beneath our feet through his Drainspotting project. To date, he has created over 500 frottages of drain covers from 135 cities spanning 35 countries and 6 continents. 

Each imprint transforms a utilitarian object into art, exposing the industrial and cultural character of its origin and, collectively, reflecting a rich spectrum of cultures and eras. 

The imperfections of the rubbings invite imagination and subjectivity, contrasting with the rigid precision of the originals. Alex‘s work celebrates diversity, discovery, and the overlooked artistry of urban design.

“I cannot look at Fischer’s work without being reminded of the film The Third Man by Carol Reed… The manhole cover was the door to a double life.“

Arnon Grunberg

Alex Fischer was born in Hamburg, Germany and has lived and worked in Amsterdam for almost 30 years. He studied at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Hamburg and the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. To celebrate Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary, Fischer was involved in designing a special drain cover. A total of 1,500 will be gradually rolled out across the city starting in 2025.