Expo.02 in Switzerland
The Swiss National Fair Expo.02 opened its gates on 15 May this year (see DETAIL 8/2001). The exhibition, which is being staged in the three-lakes region in the north-west of the country, unites the towns of Biel, Murten, Neuchâtel, and Yverdon-les-Bains. The venues are linked by a specially converted ship that also functions as a podium for discussions, a stage and lounge. For five months, visitors have the opportunity to explore the architecture and other attractions. Each of the sites, known as "arteplages", was designed by a different team of architects and has a different thematic focus. The towers by the Viennese architects Coop Himmelb(l)au in Biel (ill. 3) symbolize "power and freedom". The floating monolith in Murten by Jean Nouvel, Paris, stands for "the moment and eternity". In Neuchâtel, the three "galets" by Multipack are an examination of "nature and artificiality"; and with the diffuse bank of fog, "Blur", in Yverdon-les Bains (ill. 5), the New York architects Diller & Scofidio explore the theme of the individual and the universe. These architectural objects, which the organizers refer to as "icons", have their own identity and are meant to dissolve the boundaries between architecture, art, multimedia and other activities.
