Food and drink are omnipresent in the work of Friedrich Dürrenmatt, whether in his plays, caricatures, portraits or novels. The exhibition (Das grosse Festmahl) explores the theme of food and drink in the work and life of the writer and painter. The show is based on work by Dürrenmatt and artists who have incorporated his imagination of food and drink into their art.
For centuries Lake Constance flooded the banks, villages, fields and roads. In its storms, it devoured fishermen, cargo ships and steamships. The untamed Rhine, which crosses Lake Constance, caused flooding and destruction in the Rhine valley. In the depths of the lake, there are countless ships, aeroplanes and nameless victims. In the 19th century, however, the forces of nature were largely brought under control, and the Rhine was canalised. The exhibition shows the history of the lake and the Rhine and related works of art, stories, documents, disasters, flood protection and the many finds and the undiscovered wrecks in the lake.
The exhibition shows the importance of the quality of the water in the gorges of the Areuse. They have been supplying water to two-thirds of the population of the canton of Neuchâtel for more than a century. The exhibition highlights the tiny shellfish Gelyella monardi, less than 1/3 of a millimetre in size. This unique animal has been inhabiting the vast (under) water reservoirs for 20 million years. It is a bio-indicator of water quality and is internationally recognised as a unique animal.