FAKE. THE WHOLE TRUTH
Stapferhaus / Hygiene-Museum
The Stapferhaus in Lenzburg, Switzerland. A museum without a collection, that for years has been investigating what an exhibition really is. They view exhibitions as an appealing way to engage into a critical discussion with their audience and address relevant contemporary themes. Most museums are delicate buildings where you can’t just put screws into the ceiling, let in daylight, remove parts of the floor, or move the entrance. However, in the new Stapferhaus all this is possible. As we were involved in the early stages of design with Swiss Pool Architekten, the Stapferhaus building now has infinite possibilities and freedom for every new exhibition maker.
- Location
- Lenzburg (CH) / Dresden (DE)
- Client
- Stapferhaus / Hygiene-museum
- Year
- 2018 / 2022
Fake. The opening exhibition
We were also allowed to design their opening exhibition: Fake. Die ganze Wahrheit (Fake. The Whole Truth). We transformed the museum into a labyrinth with many rooms, ‘das Amt für die ganze Wahrheit’ (The Office for the Whole Truth). It covers all aspects of truth and untruth, from The Service for the Truth to a Department for Pinocchio research. The exhibition was extended twice and broke all visitor records.
Three-part collage
Fake is everywhere. Always has been.
When you visit Fake, you come across a large number of counters that show the theme of ‘truth’ from many unexpected sides. The first fake product you get as an infant: the pacifier. The Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. The judge’s robe which gives the impression of credibility. In Fake every space misleads you by showing the thin line between ‘true’ and ‘false’. It shows that there is a usefulness and necessity to lies, and that together we constantly redefine what we see as ‘true’ and ‘false’.
A wonderful interactive exhibition in German, French and English is a must-see for everyone in this day and age of Donald Trump, Jair Bolasano, Narendra Modi and other populists.
A complete campaign: posters, magazines and visitor passes
We were also responsible for the graphic design and DTP of the poster campaign key visual and items such as visitors passes and event brochures. We curated illustrators (such as Sebastiaan van Doninck, Christoph Frei, Jordy van den Nieuwendijk, Thomas Ott and Emma Verhulst) and did the art direction for a 130-page magazine. Fake. Das Magazin parodies the well-known German news magazine Der Spiegel and features fake ads, fake recipes and a crossword puzzle. The first print of 4000 copies sold out quickly, so the magazine was reprinted in an edition of 10.000 copies.
Three-part collage
Awards
European Museum of the Year Award 2020
- Winner
Muse Design Award 2019
- Interior Design, Platinum winner
European Design Award 2019
- Miscellaneous Exhibition Design, Silver
International Design Award 2020
- Print / Editorial, Bronze winner
