On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, facts and fiction, the live communication agency, created a challenge for itself by developing an unconventional alternative to the conventional presentation of its own projects

Various events took place during the anniversary year: the obligatory party for employees, friends, and partners, a performance by  “Ben Galliers“ as part of the “Music in the Houses of the City“ concert series for the agency’s customers, and an exhibition in the main hall of the Krafthaus, a building that supplied the Rheinauhafen - where facts and fiction is located - with electricity for many years.

facts and fiction exhibits its buried treasures in its own basement. The treasures are concepts that failed to pass extensive pitch rounds, but nonetheless deserve recognition and attention. Your own failures: no one likes to deal with them, but they conserve and document essential periods of work in the agency. The 20th anniversary was a good opportunity to provide insight into something secret and hidden and thus an authentic facet of the agency. The message: facts and fiction appreciates its own failures as much as its successes because both are part of its own history.

The Krafthaus, where the facts and fiction is based, is a 100-year-old building whose interior was adapted to the modern requirements of a live communication agency. Conversely, the basement is one of the areas in the building that looks as if it was last entered about 100 years ago - the perfect place for the ”Buried Treasures“ permanent exhibition.

A heavy iron plate in the floor ensures nobody falls into a deep pit. And the massive iron staircase hardly meets the architectural standards of modern German structural design. Having arrived safe and sound in the basement, you are surrounded by old brick walls that would make a perfect film setting for crime thriller shootout. The installation: each project is shown in a 70 x 70 cm illuminated display case. Thin steel wires hold the displays on their four corners. Placed next to each other, they glow in the dark like a street in an unreal setting.

A mountain of crumpled paper symbolises countless concepts and ideas. Asymmetrically mounted wall monitors show loops from concept films. Moving images framed by modern technology and placed in front of raw brickwork has a disturbing yet gripping effect on the visitor.