‘Moving Fantasy — Automobile and Contemporary Art’ an exhibition that explores the relationship between man and machine in the context of modern mobility and sociological aspects through the eyes of art. Curated by a team of experts of the museum, the exhibition shows works by seven national and international artists from China, Switzerland and Canada. The 600 m2 exhibition is organised in several thematic areas that shed light on different conceptual approaches such as ‘Decomposition / Instant’, ‘Sequence / Routine’ and ‘Collision / Hereafter’.

The opening installation is a 1955 Mercedes‑Benz 300SL from the museum’s own collection, which is contrasted by photographs by Swiss artist Fabian Oefner of disintegrated sports cars. The perfectly intact shape of the 300SL is confronted with a broken version that shows the interiors and mechanical parts inside of the otherwise perfect shell. This juxtaposition creates an ambiguous feeling of vulnerability and releases at the same time: The unapproachable sublime thing becomes approachable.

‘Sequence/Routine’ puts the rapid development of society under the spotlight. Central installation is the work ‘Word, World, Wall’ by Chinese artist Liu Hao. It examines space, boundaries, rules and restrictions of every day (street-) life and what it does to people and their interaction with their environment. Other works depict the daily pressure of commute and its inescapable monotony.

COO’s exhibition architecture react to these works of art by introducing elements of movement, order / disorder and disintegration. Radially arranged walls and pedestals build a network‑like structure that is contrasted by cutting-in overhead light‑beams that seem to disturb the order but hold everything together at the same time. The bold but minimalistic style of the design creates a strong memorable impression while supplying a low-key neutral canvas for the artworks to unfold.