Is it possible to know who we are? Some questions have no real answers, which is precisely why they are important – as a permanent driving force and challenge for us. Once we stop asking them, we’re already lost. This is the point of departure for Wer bin ich? (who am I?). It confronts us with the big as well as the small questions of life, using a mirror that you won’t find in any home on this planet.
The exhibition building looks like a huge mound of earth from the outside. Several layers are clearly visible, including the sedimentation rings that measure the onward march of time. But once you are inside, the heaviness of the earth mass is no longer apparent. The room seems to be endless, a place for playful encounters with yourself and others. The dim lighting swallows up the bodies and shadows of those who enter. Twelve catwalks lead across the mirror-like expanses of water to the middle of the building, where you are literally under the open sky. If you lie down, you will find yourself in a world of questions – some amusing, others serious, ironic and piercing. Suddenly, high up towards the roof, something larger than life starts to fly around and then merges into a whole array of images and sounds on one of the world's biggest film screens – it’s your own self taking its place in a community, in a finite universe of space and time.
Arteplage
Yverdon-les-Bains
Visitor capacity per day
5'456
Total visitors
954'540
Areas
Floor surface: 1'450 m2
Projection area: 1'200 m2
Water surface: 1'000 m2
Island and footbridges: 550 m2
Facade painting: 2'700 m2
Partner
Swiss Confederation
Supporter
Nikon Schweiz AG, Küsnacht www.nikon.ch
Tempur Schweiz AG, Rothrist www.tempur.com
Overall project management Confederation
Fred Nyffeler
Project management
Techdata AG (Daniel Dorsaz), Berne www.techdata.net
Content
Federal Department of Home Affairs (Lead)
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications
Concept and realisation
Jacqueline Burckhardt
Isa Stürm Urs Wolf SA, Zurich www.stuermwolf.net
Architecture
Isa Stürm Urs Wolf SA, Zurich www.stuermwolf.net
Image and animation
Laurie Anderson www.laurieanderson.com
Anders Guggisberg (Assistance)
Stephen Jablonsky (Assistance)
Davide Legittimo (Assistance)
Marc Schwarz (Assistance)
Credits
School of Visual Arts, New York, Vereinigte Staaten www.sva.edu
Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft, Birmensdorf www.wsl.ch
Sound
Laurie Anderson www.laurieanderson.com
Sound engineering
Carsten Schuffert
Clothing
Danielle Dreier
Matthias Georg
Pia Hermann
Sacha Kohler
Anita Moser
Kurt Zihlmann
Sissi Zöbeli
Questions and texts
Sibylle Berg
and others
Responsible for federal projects Expo.02
Lisa Humbert-Droz
Coaching Expo.02
Sergio Cavero (Head)
Gilles Roulin
Operations Management
Christine Süssmann (Operations Manager)
Daniel Furrer (Operations Manager)
Guides
Benno Frauchiger
Photos: © Jürg Frei: © Simon Richard; © Philipp Zanatta; Pressedossier Wer bin ich?; Panorama Tour; DVD Generation.02; © Nüssli (Schweiz) AG, Hüttwilen, www.nussli.com; © Isa Stürm Urs Wolf SA, Zurich www.stuermwolf.net
