DE VUREN LAAIEN FEL (1996) PETER GIELE Copper plate with text engraved in blue. This poem, “The Fires Braze Brightly”, was written by Giele as a tribute to the club, the plate hung at the bottom of the ticket booth. On loan from: Joost van Bellen

DOORBELL (1988) PETER GIELE Copper plate with doorbell and intercom. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

RADICAL OUTLET for the XENOMANIAC in YOU (1996) PETER GIELE Copper plate with engraved text. The plate hung at the top of the ticket booth, lending credence to the name RoXY. Radical Outlet for the Xenomaniac in You. On loan from: JeanPaul Commandeur

RoXY AMSTERDAM RE-ENACT - BOUNCER/DOORBITCH/DOOR SUPERVISOR/TRAINING/HOW TO/BRAND IN MOKUM/ (2009)
GERALD VAN DER KAAP
This video was produced as part of the memorial show Brand in Mokum (“Fire in Amsterdam”). As one of the most notorious bouncers of the city, doorman Goos-Jan was loved by many, and feared by many more. On loan from: Gerald van der Kaap

PRE-HISTORICAL BASEBALL BAT (1996)
HARRY HEYINK
Heyink made three bronze casts of human thigh bones, which hung in the entrance hall. This way, the doormen always had a bat handy, in case of serious trouble. The original RoXY works have since been lost, but Giele had an extra baseball-bat manufactured for his private collection, which has been preserved. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

PORTRAIT OF PETER GIELE, EDDY DE CLERCQ AND ARJEN SCHRAMA WITH ROXY-LOGO (1987)
HANS VAN MANEN/KOEWEIDEN POSTMA
Choreographer and photographer Hans van Manen shot this picture of the three founders for the club’s opening. The portrait was embellished with the RoXY logo, designed by Koeweiden Postma, and used for early publicity. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

PETER GIELE (1985)
PAUL BLANCA
Two copies of this laminated photo of Peter Giele and his crowbar adorned the facade of the RoXY when the building burned down in 1999. Master demolisher Giele was eventually laid to rest with the same crowbar in his hands, taking his weapon with him to the grave.
This 1999 copy version is not numbered or signed by Paul Blanca. On loan from: Joost van Bellen

MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODYS (acquired in 1996)
GUUS VAN DER WERF
The piece was purchased in a much larger version by Giele for the office of director Hans Kuipers, where it hung from a bright green wall behind his desk. This miniature ended up in Giele’s collection around the same time. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

WALL NEWSPAPER (2022)
GEBR. SILVESTRI
Swiss brothers Adrian and Stefan Silvestri have been responsible for the graphic design of dozens of RoXY flyers. The brothers produced this wall newspaper with more information about the exhibition especially for R.A.R.O.X.Y. (in Dutch only). On loan from: Gebr. Silvestri

EAR AND COTTON SWAB (1991)
NIELS SCHUMM & NEPCO
Performance artists Nepco were part of RoXY’s permanent creative staff. Photographer Niels Schumm captured one of their most iconic appearances on camera. It depicts the wandering ear of Vincent van Gogh and a human cotton swab. On loan from: Frans Franciscus and Rinus Gundel Franciscus

ROXY (1990)
MAXIM MEEKES
Art director Regina Geerts, with the assistance of artist Maxime de Waal, decided to immortalize the four letters of the club name in the flesh. Maxim Meekes was the photographer, and fashion terrorists the Haute Couture Junkies were invited to model. The original work, which hung in the entrance hall, has since been lost. This is a miniature copy produced from low resolution files. On loan from: Joost van Bellen

ACIDHOUSEPANTS (1989)
JURRIAAN VAN HALL
Artist Jurriaan van Hall painted DJ Van Bellen’s white jeans while he was spinning acid house in Club RoXY. Van Hall founded the After Nature collective together with artists Peter Klashorst and Bart Domburg. They vowed to steer clear of conceptual art and far-fetched art theories. After Nature’s motto was simple: get out of your studio, paint wherever you end up, paint a lot and paint what you see. On loan from: Joost van Bellen

STUDS T-SHIRT (1993)
RUUD VAN DER PEIJL
Artist, fashion creator and rebel Ruud van der Peijl designed a black RoXY T-shirt with metal studs. During the first years of Club RoXY’s success, the message he proclaimed came straight from punk: fuck commerce, fight the system and “do it yourself”. Van der Peijl had his students at the Rietveld Academy hammer the nails into the shirts. On loan from: Puck Verdoes

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS (2021)
SAM ANDREA After Ruud van der Peijl decided to depart from this world, artist Sam Andrea produced several tributes to his teacher, including a portrait in lino print. Van der Peijl is depicted as a saint wearing a necklace with the letters TCB, which represent the motto of his larger than life hero, Elvis Presley: “Taking Care of Business”. On loan from: Joost van Bellen

LOVEBALL MAGAZINE (1994)
GEBR. SILVESTRI
After the death of artists and nightlife icons such as Keith Haring, Sylvester and Steve Rubell (Studio 54), Club RoXY decided to publish a magazine to coincide with the Amsterdam Loveball. The magazine included visual art inspired by the AIDS epidemic, that complemented the spectacular shows on stage during the annual event. The original magazine is on view at R.A.R.O.X.Y. and features contributions by Anton Beeke, Cleo Campert, Dadara, Desireé Dolron, Rineke Dijkstra, Peter Giele, Erik Fens (Benneton), Nat Finkelstein, Frans Franciscus, Freudenthal/Verhagen, René Habermacher, George Heidweiler, Gerald van der Kaap, Paola Kalshoven, Micha Klein, Onno Klein, Jasper Krabbé, Danielle Kwaaitaal, Fritz Kok, De Beide Kunstenaars, Seymour Likely, Mariscal, Mevis & Van Deursen, Doran McGee, Erwin Olaf, Ruud van der Peijl, Rob Scholte, Shaun Sutton, Hervé di Rosa, Jan Rothuizen, Han Singels, Annie Sprinkle, Tineke Storteboom, Berend Strik and more. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

DECORS BLOEIEN IN DE ROXY (“DECORS FLOURISH AT THE ROXY”) (from Blvd. magazine 1997)
ROXY DECOR CREW | PHOTOS CLAUDE CROMMELIN AND V.O.L.V.O
RoXY was renowned for its monthly changing themes, created by set designer Geoff Miller and later Nieko de Jong, inventor/technician Norbert Starink and egged on by Van Bellen and the other creative staff members. The photos include a stuffed dog on a bed that was part of a flying dog caravan; the club as a pinball machine; a moving nativity scene as the target of a gigantic fairground shooting gallery; the talking 3D statue head of Lenin during a USSR week; a lifelike tornado that swept across the dance floor; and the very first inflatable decors. The inflatable decors created by team member Matthew Whitehead were the beginning of Airworks, a company that now provides sensational inflatables for major artists and events worldwide. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

CHARADE (1992)
SEYMOUR LIKELY
Cast of the genitalia of misanthropic artist Yves Klein, as part of a series of limp dicks belonging to famous impotent alcoholics. This row of penises hung above the three bars by the dance floor. Seymour Likely was supposedly a mysterious American artist, but ultimately was revealed to be a fabrication by artists Ronald Hooft, Aldert Mantje and Ido Vunderink. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

GIMMICK! (first edition, 1989)
JOOST ZWAGERMAN
Poet and writer Zwagerman frequented RoXY in its early years, always traveling in the wake of some notorious Amsterdam postmodernist artist. His second novel is set in this era, and centers around a club named Gimmick! – a pastiche of Club RoXY and 36 op de Schaal van Richter. The downfall of painter and protagonist Walter van Raamsdonk (Raam) in Gimmick!, a world dominated by sex, drugs, booze, money and media, became Zwagerman’s big breakthrough. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

FUCK ART LET’S MEDITATE! (TRISTES TROPIQUES ETC A.P.) (1988-1989)
GERALD VAN DER KAAP AND PETER GIELE
Van der Kaap’s two-meter-long artwork “Fuck Art Let's Meditate! (Tristes Tropiques Etc. Artist Print)” hung above a three-seater Chesterfield, somewhere at the beginning of the corridor leading to the restrooms. The fire destroyed the artwork. The title plate, made by Giele, was all that remained – including soot stains. Fortunately, the real work was not lost: the Groninger Museum is in possession of the only other and therefore original version of “Tristes Tropiques”. On loan from: Gerald van der Kaap

LEIGH BOWERY (1991)
CLEO CAMPERT
Performance artist Leigh Bowery on the RoXY stage, shot by in-house photographer Cleo Campert during Eddy De Clercq’s farewell as artistic director. Immediately before Campert took this picture, Bowery, standing on his hands, had spread his legs to squirt a fountain of water from his anus. On loan from: Cleo Campert

LEIGH BOWERY (1994)
RENÉ HABERMACHER
Swiss artist Habermacher shot fourteen Polaroids of Leigh Bowery performing as the lead singer of the band Minty. During the third song, Bowery gave birth to an adult woman, cutting the umbilical cord with his teeth and nursing his newborn not with breastmilk, but with a glass of freshly-tapped urine. The show took place during the fourth edition of the Amsterdam Loveball, a two-day fundraiser for the Aids Fund, and is still considered by many to be the best performance in the history of nightlife. The woman he gave birth to was Lucien Freud-model Nicola Bateman-Bowery, whom he had married in the same month. Bowery died on New Year’s Eve 1994 from AIDS. On loan from: René Habermacher

TWO MURKINS (1994)
LEIGH BOWERY
After Bowery’s death, the fifth edition of the Amsterdam Loveball was dedicated to him. With performers, musicians, fashion designers, artists and DJs from Bologna, Brussels, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Munich, New York, Paris and of course the Netherlands, it became the most memorable and also final edition of the AIDS fundraiser. In 1995 Leigh Bowery’s wife Nicola gave Joost van Bellen two pubic-hairy stick-on cats, or “murkins”, as heirlooms: ‘Leigh wanted you to have these’. The blond one still shows traces of the pancake makeup that Bowery smeared all over his body. The murkin on the right is seen in action in a photograph by Cleo Campert. On loan from: Joost van Bellen

OONK-OONK-OONK-OONK (2022)
STAR STUDDED STUDIOS
Every raver knows the sound, as does every clubber. The indefinable thump from afar, the dull lure that tells you there’s a party going on, the pervasive heartbeat of the club that can be heard through the walls and in the restrooms. Star Studded Studios created a sound score for R.A.R.O.X.Y. reminiscent of Daft Punk’s "Revolution 909". The four-to-the-floor beat of the oonk-oonk-oonk-oonk in various speeds can be heard and felt in the gut, with early house and some hip-hop guiding the way. Courtesy of: Star Studded Studios, Sander Stenger & co

ROOM 3

BUTTERFLY DISPLAY CASE (acquired in 1993)
ERIK FENS
Collector and artist Erik Fens once made butterfly display cases. He would find the winged insects in hardcore porno magazines, cut them out and secure them with a pin. The large butterfly case that hung in between the cigarette vending machines at RoXY is in possession of the Amsterdam City Archives. A smaller version – which Peter Giele acquired around the same time – can be seen in the darkroom. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

NAIL CONSTELLATION WALL – PROTOTYPE (1995)
PETER GIELE
A wide wall in the basement near the coat check was fitted by Giele with stained hardwood and studded with thousands of copper nails. The RoXY logo was left blank, allowing it to shine through the glimmering copper constellation in all its purity. For weeks, the nails were hammered into the wall by RoXY employees and their friends, who were told to incorporate a secret message of love. The wall has since been destroyed, but a prototype has recently resurfaced. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

BEPJE (1991)
SIERT DALLINGA
Bepje was a much-loved dachshund, and both Pussy Lounge doorwoman Dia and bartender Deborah Ferraz were inseparable from her. When to everyone’s great sorrow the sweet doggy died, Peter Giele purchased a silkscreen of her by Siert Dallinga. On permanent display near the restrooms, Bepje broke many hearts and became a small place of pilgrimage, helping to fill the tip jar on the table in front of her. The original artwork has gone missing. Fortunately, artist Dallinga had one copy left in his archive. On loan from: Siert Dallinga

PIÈCE DE RÉSIDANCE (1987-1990)
ROXY PATRONS
A square cut-out of the exact center of Club RoXY’s very first dance floor. The grooves of dancing heels and the effect of glass shards underneath the shoes of clubgoers are clearly visible. The black plaques consist of spit-out chewing gum mixed with cigarette ash. Staples and paint residue from the decor crew can also be seen. A few pieces of confetti are visible on the upper left. On loan from: Peter van der Meulen

ARCADISCH LANDSCHAP (1995)
PIETER BIJWAARD
For this exhibition, these three works can be seen together for the very first time. During the refurbishment of the offices on the side of the Kalverstraat in 1996, Peter Giele asked executive secretary Karin Schaap and office jill-of-all-trades Deborah Ferraz what they would like on the walls. They replied: “How about something with flowers? Or just some nice postcards.” And so, the office was furnished with two four-panel works by Pieter Bijwaard, “Arcadian Landscape”. Giele acquired the hitherto unknown third landscape for himself. All three works were framed by Giele. On loan from: Deborah Ferraz and Inez Giele-de Jong

RADICAL OUTLET for the XENOMANIAC in YOU: THE COMPLETE FLYER COLLECTION (2009)
JEANPAUL COMMANDEUR
Graphic designer JeanPaul Commandeur put his heart and soul into making this book that includes almost all of Club RoXY’s flyers. Ten years after the devastating fire, he and his assistant Ferraz went on a quest to make a book whereby budget was the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. From copper foil to stamped black leather, from expressible glossy quartet cards to the voices of Peter Giele and Zubrowka that sound as soon as you open or close the book, from the very first artwork to the very last, from cut-and-paste work in dire times to the RoXY newspaper: it can all be found in this all-encompassing book. On loan from: JeanPaul Commandeur

CHILL CAVE (1992)
GERALD VAN DER KAAP & PETER GIELE
The womb of the Chill Cave is Club RoXY. This imposing work of art featured at the club several times and traveled the world with similar Caves, culminating at the Tokyo Artlab in 1992 as one of its highlights. The Chill Cave experience is supervised by hosts. Visitors lie down, after which a vertical tunnel is placed over their head. They then embark on a three-dimensional trip through light, sound and color that lasts 15 to 20 minutes. For reservations and hours of operation, check with the employees of Het HEM. Concept and software: Gerald Van Der Kaap. Hardware: Peter Giele. Music by Leo Anemaet. Cave-wear: Ruud van der Peijl. Logo and manual: Linda van Deursen. Words: Jacob Groot, Dalstar and Hiroo Yamagata. Construction: Gillian Schröfer. 3D Remix: Henry Kawahara. Courtesy of: Canon Artlab, Tokyo. Lending and distribution: Li-ma, Amsterdam

EVERY SUNDAY CLUB ROXY IS JUICE (1997)
WALTER RUSS
Artist Russ conceived and drew the mascot for speed garage club Juice, which was held every Sunday night during the last two-and-a-half years of RoXY. DJs “Groovemaster” Johnson and Van Bellen played Black music from the UK that belted relentlessly from the speakers. The vibe was upbeat, a tad decadent and oozed sex. Russ’ sensuous lady appeared on the artwork and was even transformed into a performance suit and a sculpture shaped like an ashtray. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

WONDERSCHÖN’S FAVOURITE SHAPES (1993)
AAM SOLLEVELD
During the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic, artist Aam Solleveld created terrycloth penises. These were featured in the condom display case near the restrooms, which also held some of the most extraordinary condoms from the Condomerie condom shop. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

SANDRA (ANGEL III) (1992)
INEZ VAN LAMSWEERDE & VINOODH MATADIN | THE RAVENSTIJN GALLERY
The tiled walls of both the ladies’ and men’s room were adorned with enormous and controversial photographs by Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin. Featuring models in bathing suits stepping out of a pool with their throats slit, these works broke with traditional fashion photography full of glamour and idyllic luxury life. The original photographs have gone missing. Peter Giele arranged for a miniature replica at the time of purchase. On loan from: Inez Giele-de Jong

BODYPARTS (1992)
ERWIN OLAF
Peter Giele invited photographer Erwin Olaf to contribute to the art collection. Their choice of location was the restroom cubicles of Club RoXY. The original photographs have gone missing. Studio Erwin Olaf decided to make six new prints in miniature format for this mini museum. On loan from: Studio Erwin Olaf

BURN BABY BURN (2022)
JAN VERBURG
In 1987, painter Jan Verburg created six eight-by-three-meter canvases that surrounded the dance floor during the BAM BAM Wednesday nights. The works featured portraits of a kneeling Joan of Arc, Mr. Spock and Captain Kirk on a stage staircase, Elvis Presley in a gold suit, Brigitte Bardot in a bikini and Bela Lugosi as Dracula at a cemetery. This collection was later purchased by Lowlands and featured prominently at the festival’s entryways. Jan Verburg later painted three beautiful works of courting birds – a reference to the flirtations that take place in nightlife – which hung in an alcove with Chesterfields. The BAM BAM canvases are too large for this exhibition. The bird triptych has gone missing. Verburg therefore decided to create a new painting especially for this exhibition. On loan from: Jan Verburg