Taasaesaft

The project “Taasäsaft” takes a process-oriented approach to the history of Gais as a whey spa, which is still commemorated by the former spa buildings in the village square. Whey, a by-product of cheese production, was discovered in the mid-18th century as a remedy for chest pains, making Gais the first whey spa in Europe. Its heyday lasted about a century. Today whey is mostly a waste product. 

“Taasäsaft” invites us to look at healing processes and our modern expectation of the fastest possible recovery. A whey cure required a lot of patience and followed a slow, repetitive rhythm of drinking, walking, eating and fresh air. The installation, where whey is served daily, invites visitors to reflect on the slow aspects of healing processes: the steady dripping of whey, different sound frequencies from sound therapy, the smell of hay, a foot sound bath and a shelf of whey jars.

“Taasä” means a large round or oval-shaped container in the local dialect

“Saft” means juice in Swissgerman