Eating and drinking between organics and design

Nature and artificiality: the exhibition Manna deals with this theme of the Arteplage Neuchâtel. In a world of sound, creep and smell, the boundaries between real and fake are blurred.

What is hiding on your plate? A question you will certainly ask yourself after visiting the exhibition Manna. A sweet vanilla scent emanates from a 48.00-metre diameter pudding formed by 21 inflatable plastic spoon biscuits that rise 15.00 metres into the air.

That smells good! Children's voices in all languages lure you inside this artificial dessert. Now you are in the middle of a garden with plants, vegetables, fragrant herbs and a giant apple tree. It all seems more real than fake. Or does it? The apples are an exact replica of 365 Swiss varieties. In reality, there are about 1'000 different varieties! But only a few of them can be found in shops. Did you know that the market supply manipulates your taste?

Natural soil

On an underground trail you will discover the richness of an unfertilised organic soil. The soil comes from different regions of Switzerland. A healthy and living soil with its inhabitants: woodlice, millipedes, earthworms, snails, moles and many more. Images of them are projected onto the tunnel walls. This gives you the feeling of being in the middle of the earth yourself, and you are amazed at the diversity. Did you know that all these creatures contribute to the fertility of the soil?

A synthetic strawberry

A little further on, a pavilion as pink as chewing gum houses the largest strawberry in the world - it is synthetic and was designed by Basel artist Barbarella Maier. The Beatles song Strawberry Fields ruffles your ears and a pleasing strawberry smell enters your nose. Did you know that 90 percent of the strawberry aroma is artificially produced? Inspired by the theme of the Arteplage Neuchâtel Nature and Artificiality, Manna forces you to question your consumption habits and think about the natural and artificial in your diet. An exhibition to taste - just the way you like it!

Arteplage
Neuchâtel

Visitor capacity per day
13'500

Total visitors
1'437'780

Partner
Coop, Basel www.coop.ch

Project management Coop
Ilse Rollé-Ditzler

Overall project management
reflecta AG, Berne www.reflecta.ch

Exhibition concept, content                           
ecos.ch AG, Basel www.ecos.ch
Coop Projektteam, Basel www.coop.ch

Architecture, landscape        
Andrin Schweizer & Partner Architekten, Zurich www.andrinschweizer.ch
Ralph Meury Architekten, Zurich www.meuryarchitektur.ch

Concept, design Sinfoterra
Stauffenegger + Stutz (Christian Stauffenegger, Ruedi Stutz), Basel www.st-st.ch

Artwork Artefragola
Barbarella Maier, Basel www.easyart.ch

Lettering concept
Gina Moser, Zurich www.austellungs-design.ch

General contractor
Sulzer + Buzzi Baumanagement AG, Olten www.s-b.swiss

Civil engineer
Lüem AG, Basel (new: Gruner Lüem AG) www.gruner.ch
BHM Bianchetti Hitzinger Meyer Ingenieure und Planer AG, Biel

Building Services Engineer
Haustec Engineering AG, Ostermundigen www.haustec.ch

Electrical planner/multimedia system
H&S Voluntas Engineering AG, Dittingen

Design of signage
Face.ing Ltd, Zürich www.facing.ch

Sky painting
Enrico Caspari, Züberwangen

Consulting apples & Vivavaria & plantings
Pro Specie Rara, Aarau www.prospcierara.ch

Compositions & sound design
Dr. Bernhard Ambros Batschelet, Basel
Urs Rickenbacher, Basel

Scents
Grorymab AG (new: Air Creative AG), Wangen an der Aare www.aircreative.com

Video projections Sinfoterra
point de vue audiovisuelle produktion, Basel www.pointdevue.ch

Apple imitations Vivavaria
tpc productionscenter Zürich AG, Zürich
Marius Ott, Zürich

Landscape planning
Schönholzer & Stauffer, Riehen

Soil material
Adalbert Pazeller, Ingenieurbüro für Agrarökologie, Richterswil www.pazeller.ch

Inflates
H.P. Gasser AG Membranbau (new: HP Gasser AG), Sarnen www.hpgasser.ch

Scenic lighting
Regent Beleuchtungskörper AG, Basel www.regent,ch

Landscape gardeners
Hortussa AG, Uetendorf www.hortussa.ch

Vegetable plants landscape
Martin Löffel, Müntschemier

Irrigation system Sinfoterra
Ott Aquatec AG, Pfäffikon www.aquatec.ch

Sound system, moving lights
Habegger Media Perfomance AG, Urdorf www.habegger.ch

Metalwork Sinfoterra and Artefragola
SWM Metallbautechnik AG, Biglen www.swm-metallbau.ch

Apple tree Vivavaria
Dekorationsbau Felix AG, Emsbrach www.felixag.ch

Assembly work in wood
Holzloft Kapp Lüdi AG, Orpund

Textile wall coverings
Schlegel & Co, Basel www.schlegel-basel.ch

Coaching Expo.02
Armin Heusser (Head)
Heidi Huber

Operations Management
Christian Sager (Operations Manager)
Jürg Saner (Operations Manager)
Antonio Arces (Head of Infodesk)
Brigitte Gyger (Head of Secretariat)
Brigitte Weisskopf (Secretariat)
Christine Freiburghaus (Assistance)
Murielle Sudan Fulgraff (Assistance)
Marianne Guggisberg (Assistance)
Rahel Otz (Assistance)
Bettina Zürcher (Deputy Head of Communications)

Guides
Julien Brunschwig, Denise Grogg, Olivia Martinelli, Chris Plattner, Hans Ueli Plattner, Cornel Rast, Verena Saner, Barbara Weber Kindler, Simone Zumbrunnen

^{Photos: Press kit Manna; © Jürg Frei; © Lucas Keel; © Archive Frédérique Mouchet; © Andreas Mosimann; © Tom Weilenmann; © Philipp Zanatta; Claude Zingg; © Archive Ralph Ammann}