Expo.02: Exhibiting Swiss identity

Abstract

ducted – as far as they can be – with great prudence. This peculiarity produces strange and interesting phenomena. In this short paper I want to deal with one of these: the survival of national exhibitions. Switzerland is the only European country where there has been a persistent tradition of national exhibitions in the twentieth century. This tradition continues into the present century with an exhibition in four cities of the region of Neuchâtel (Bienne, Morat, Yverdon and Neuchâtel) planned for 2002. My very modest goal is here to sketch briefly the historical context of this exhibition, and consider some of the questions raised by my experience of working with artists, architects and academics on an exhibition on space and identity. I will argue that the cultural projects underpinning these national exhibitions in the past and the forthcoming exhibition have radically changed. This change is at the root of the unease and controversies that the present project has generated, and signifies a shift in the public and governmental politics of Swiss identity.