What wishes are whispered from ear to ear in Switzerland, what longings and hopes hover in space? sWISH* shows the wish landscape of Switzerland and the mystical depths that lie hidden behind it.
Anyone approaching the sWISH* pavilion is greeted by a mysterious whisper, a chorus of voices that only dissolves into individual voices in the immediate vicinity. There are hundreds of quietly voiced wishes hoping to be fulfilled.
A fairytale atmosphere welcomes visitors as they enter the pavilion: virtual wishing creatures - fairies and goblins - accompany them through the exhibition, explain wishing places, wishing rituals and wishing objects and introduce them to a mystical wishing world. In a total of four thematically structured wish capsules, visitors will find out what the Swiss heart's desire is: even before the Expo, the sWISH*mobile travels through the country to capture the most diverse wishes of old and young people in short film sequences. The result is a landscape of wishes that encompasses all social, professional and age groups in our country.
Wishes for the mermaids in Lake Biel
Not only can visitors hear and see the wishes of others, but they can also make their own wishes, share their dreams and ideas on the touch-sensitive screens of the wish terminals. A glass floor provides a view of the water of Lake Biel, on which the projections and wishes move to the rhythm of the waves. Projected onto the surface of the water, they encounter other wishes, unite with them, dissolve and perhaps meet enchanted mermaids in the depths of Lake Biel.
sWISH* is accompanied by a representative study by the Social Research Centre of the University of Zurich. This documents the project scientifically, which helps it to have a lasting effect beyond the actual exhibition experience.
Arteplage
Biel-Bienne
Visitor capacity per day
8'400
Total visitors
1'036'430
Partner
IBM Schweiz AG, Zurich www.ibm.com
Swiss Re, Zurich www.swissre.com
Project management
Jean-Marc Hunziker, IBM Schweiz AG
Scenography
Morphing Systems Architektur + Ausstellungen GmbH (new: Holzer Kobler Architekturen GmbH) (Teresa Chen, Jean-Marc Hunziker, Tristan Kobler, Franziska Koch, Louis Saul, Tom Sperlich, Miriam Zehnder), Zurich www.holzerkobler.com
Exhibition architecture
Morphing Systems Architektur + Ausstellungen GmbH (new: Holzer Kobler Architekturen GmbH) (Solveig Scheper), Zurich www.holzerkobler.com
Head of technology
Christoph Schaub, IBM Schweiz AG
Architecture
gjk Gramazio Jörgensen Kohler GmbH (Neu: Gramazio & Kohler GmbH), Zurich www.gramaziokohler.com
Supporting structure
SJB+Partner (Neu: SJB Kempter Fitze AG), Herisau www.sjb.ch
Building services planning HVAC
Preti Haustechnik, Zurich
Lighting design
Delux Theatre Lighting (Rolf Derrer), Zurich
Coaching Expo.02
Pidu Russek (Head)
Karin Hilzinger
Operations Management
Beat Weisskopf (Head of Operations), IBM Schweiz AG
Roland Mathys (Pavilion Manager)
Hanspeter Kunn (Pavilion Manager)
Oliver Weber (Pavilion Manager)
Margot Leder (Communication & Events)
Annemargret Meyer (Communication & Events)
Heinz Vollenweider (Communication & Events)
Photos: Press kit sWISH*; © Holzer Kobler Architekturen GmbH www.holzerkobler.com; © Jürg Frei; © Philipp Zanatta
