Switzerland. Neuchâtel canton. Neuchâtel. Expo 02. A tourist with an umbrella. There is a new peninsula in the lake Neuchâtel. Three "galets" serve as its roof, and it is surrounded by hundreds of shining plastic reeds. Everything is - of course - artificial ! The island rests on 480 steel piles anchored deep in the lakebed, connected to the exhibition site on the land by a bridge. The arteplage with the artificial character is an elegant imitation of nature, created by means of modern technology: thus the slate-stone roofs over the exhibition area seem to be floating in mid-air, and hundreds of reeds bend with the rhythm of the waves, changing wondrously into glowing strands that transform the lake shore into a fantastic sea of lights. National exhibition. © 2002 Didier Ruef .