ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Eispavillon: Ice Cave Art in Saas-Fee

exhibition · 2026-04-23

The Eispavillon exhibition took place in an ice cave at over 3,000 meters in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, from June 20 to August 30, 2003. Curated by Eveline Notter and Rachel Ward, the show featured contemporary artists confronting the sublime natural environment. Tobias Wong offered a Prada-branded lip balm in capsules, while Ken Courtney displayed politically themed posters, treating the landscape as a tourist product. The German collective saasfee* exhibited T-shirts and light boxes with their logo in the souvenir shop. Adam Schary contributed a CD of reflections on the impossibility of competing with nature's beauty. Olivier Mosset installed a version of his "toblerones" carved from ice, referencing Swiss anti-tank barriers that never saw combat. The ice gave the work a delicate, iridescent quality that invited touch, gradually melting back to water. The exhibition highlighted the tension between art and overwhelming natural grandeur.

Key facts

  • Eispavillon was held in an ice cave in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, at over 3,000 meters.
  • The exhibition ran from June 20 to August 30, 2003.
  • Curators were Eveline Notter and Rachel Ward.
  • Tobias Wong presented Prada-branded lip balm in capsules.
  • Ken Courtney showed politically themed posters.
  • The German collective saasfee* displayed T-shirts and light boxes.
  • Adam Schary created a CD with reflections on nature.
  • Olivier Mosset exhibited ice-carved 'toblerones' referencing Swiss anti-tank barriers.

Entities

Artists

  • Tobias Wong
  • Ken Courtney
  • Adam Schary
  • Olivier Mosset
  • Eveline Notter
  • Rachel Ward
  • saasfee*

Institutions

  • Musées de Lausanne
  • Musée de Saint-Gall

Locations

  • Saas-Fee
  • Switzerland
  • Valais
  • Los Angeles
  • Lausanne
  • Saint-Gall

Sources