The Matterhorn in Düsseldorf

 
Trade fair wrap-up To draw the attention of trade visitors to the Robatech trade fair stand, artist Pirmin Breu came up with an idea.  
Exhibiting at the world's largest international trade fairs is very important for a company like Robatech AG in Muri, which is active in 57 countries. However, the very large number of exhibitors and visitors that such world trade fairs attract does not make it easy for exhibiting companies to attract attention: Interpack 2008, for example, attracted 2,744 exhibitors and 179,000 visitors to Düsseldorf over seven days, and Drupa, which lasted two weeks, attracted 1971 exhibitors and as many as 391,000 visitors. "We have been exhibiting at these two world trade fairs in Düsseldorf for many years, and we know the conditions there. That's why we had Pirmin Breu design and realize our exhibition stand, as he did for the previous Interpack and Drupa. His work is something special and stands out positively even in such a confusing environment," says Ruedi Brun, Head of Marketing at Robatech AG. "After a discussion with Mr. Breu, we decided to focus on the terms durability, precision and Swiss quality, as these terms also stand for our adhesive application systems, which we produce at our headquarters in Muri and export all over the world. We gave Mr. Breu a free hand with the implementation, and the result not only impressed us, but also the trade fair visitors: a 6-metre-high and 8.5-metre-wide replica of the Matterhorn attracted attention," says Ruedi Brun, describing the two successful trade fair appearances in Düsseldorf.
But what exactly attracted visitors to the fair? Was it the size of the object or the fact that it was a replica of the most famous Swiss mountain? Pirmin Breu gives the answer: "The exhibition grounds in Düsseldorf are huge and the exhibition halls are very high. A large object is a prerequisite for being noticed at all, but that alone is not enough. The Matterhorn should therefore stand out above all due to its production technology: While such objects are normally printed by machine in photo quality, I drew the Matterhorn by hand, enlarged it with a projector, traced it again by hand and shaded it with colors from an airbrush gun and spray can. This gives the artwork a lively touch: in contrast to a photo print, it radiates vibrancy and naturalness. Even amateurs subconsciously notice the difference and are attracted to such works of art."
Pirmin Breu's work not only fascinates visitors to the trade fair in Düsseldorf and the staff at Robatech AG - many of the pictures hanging on the company's walls are also by him - but also famous personalities, including billionaire Gunther Sachs, who admires his art.
Irene Young
About Pirmin BreuPirmin Breu, born 1972,
discovered and developed his talent for using spray paint as an "illegal street artist". He also completed an apprenticeship as a sign and advertising painter, but continued to work as an artist in his spare time. He exhibited his works of art and was artistically inspired by numerous extended stays abroad, including in the USA and Central and South America. He has been successfully self-employed since 1997: One of his most interesting commissions was to help design the European tour of the world-famous band Pink Floyd with a spray can: He turned the band's mascot, a giant, inflatable plastic pig, into an eye-catcher with his graffiti art. He received the commission at very short notice: he was asked the evening before the concert in Zurich's Hallenstadion, discussed his wishes with Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters at around 12.00 noon on the day of the concert, grabbed his spray can two hours later and finished his work at 6.00 pm, just in time for the first concert guests to enter. In addition to his talent, this is his other great secret to success: Pirmin Breu can handle deadline pressure and meets fixed deadlines without any ifs or buts. "If I were unreliable," he says, "I probably wouldn't stand a chance with industrial customers like Robatech." www.pirminbreu.ch