World on View
Phoebe Morrison History of Exhibition Culture RISD 2017
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Pessimism doesn’t make Expos: the model is Star Trek, not Blade Runner.
-Paul Greenhalgh
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Lost in Translation
When Herzog & De Meuron were first approached to design the Milan Expo to be held in 2015 they said yes under the condition that the expo break the mold of what a world fair was like. The topic was set to be “Feeding the Planet Energy For Life.� The serious theme of the expo seemed like a great opportunity to simplify the concept of the expo down its purest form. The proposal that was accepted for the design of the expo included a main road that spanned the site, connecting all of the pavillions. Instead of large modern pavillions, Herzog & De Meuron encouraged each country to devote the majority of their lots to live gardens. The pavillions were secondary to the gardens and would just serve as understated shacks for exhibitions. This plan would allow for the expo to be installed with minimal investment from the participating countries and would be easy to take down at the end of the expo. The Milan Expo committee agreed with this plan but as
other countries began to submit their drawings for pavillions is became clear that getting everyone on the same page would be close to impossible. Participating in an expo is a large financial investment for a nation. In the case of the United States, all funding for the pavillion had to come from corporations because the government cannot fund pavillions for events like the Expo. There are high expectations set for what participation in an expo will bring a nation. It is a chance for a nation to make a big statement about where they fit on the world stage. Trying to send out a message of national unity and strength from behind an understated shack was too much for most countries to accept. Ultimately Herzog & De Meuron stepped down from the project. On their website they have written quite brashly, “As much as we were convinced that our masterplan would be a good platform for the radical re-invention of what a world exhibition 7
could be in the 21st century, we understood that the organizers would not undertake the necessary steps to convince the participating nations to give up on thier conventional indulging in self-contemplation instead of focusing on their specific contribution to agriculture and food production.” This burtally honest account of what it was like working on the Expo shows how challenging it is so honor the supposed “theme” of an expo, when the underlying themes are unavoidable and stronger. While parts of the expos original plan remained like the main road with a large tented structure, minamilism certainly 8
wouldn’t make the list in descriptions of the event. Jacques Herzog said in his interview with Uncubed Magazine, “From what I have heard about the coming pavilions and concepts, it seems that this Expo will be the same kind of vanity fair that we’ve seen in the past.” The tradition of world fair culture has deeply engrained the idea that a pavillion is more than an exhibit. It is a symbol for everything the country stands for and the idealic vision it wants to show the world. The culture of nationalistic display dates back has always occured in the world’s fair setting. In the Crystal Pallace, the resources and culure of colonized nations
were showcased to strengthen the support of the British Empire. Although things have changed since the Crystal Pallace the platform of the fair is still used in a simillar way. Turkmenistan’s pavillion included extensive information on their infrastructural development and natural resources. The emphasis was hardly on food. Investing in a pavillion is like buying adspace at the super bowl. Nations have to make their own decisions about what will benefit them the most. At the end of the day no theme is more important or powerful than nationalism. When I visited the Expo I noticed that many of the international visitors were waiting dedicatedly waiting in line to visit the pavillions of
their home country. Despite an optimisitic plan for the Expo it is clear that the organizers and many visitors are not ready to end the era of the vanity fair.
“We decided only to accept the invitation to design the Milan masterplan if our client would accept a radically new vision for a world exhibition; abandoning these monuments of individual national pride that have turned all Expos since the mid-nineteenth century into obsolete vanity fairs.� -Jacques Herzog
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Bringing in The Masses
Reading through reports of both the Milan Expo and the 1939 World’s Fair there is an enourmous fascination with scale. The amount spent on each fair was speculated time and time again in magazines and newspapers along with the expected number of visitors. Even metrics like the number of trees planted at the 1939 World’s Fair become an exciting element of the spectacle. National Geographic wrote, “The whole area covered by the Fair embraces 1,216 acres. There are 17 miles of roads, 45 miles of footpaths, and 300 buildings. About 2,000,000 growing plants are shown; there are 250 acres of lawn and 10,000 trees transplanted and set as in landscape gardens… The total cost of construction was about 155,000,000. About 60,000,000 people, including repeaters, are expected to pay admission…” This quote regarding the 1939 World’s Fair is from one of many articles I found that is written in this way. The focus of much of the promotional material for the events is
on large numbers rather than large ideas. Visitors are drawn in by the grand spectacle of the crowds and visual display. Although expos have always been a means of bringing tourist dollars into a city, the public’s perception of that has shifted. Life magazine published an article on the development of the World’s Fair while it was still being constructed. They wrote, “The fair, however, has always declared primarily that it is more concerned with instruction than amusement. An outand-out advertising venture, sponsored by New York businessmen who expect visitors to spend $1,000,000,000 in their city, the Fair has a high-sounding purpose: to demonstrate the interdependence of men and the blessings of democracy.”This quote is one of the only instances I have found where the intentions of the fair have been questioned. Much of what I have read presents the fair positvely as a bringer of hope and better days. The fair was coming at the end of 11
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The Great Depression and promised a hopeful future along with an influx of tourism. It was proposed as something that would be beneficial to all. It would educate and support business. The fair’s emphasis on using the tools of today to build the world tomorrow allowed for visitors to take a break from their reality. Much like in art museums, visitors are asked to put aside their frustrations and find comfort in the possibility of a better future. In a time of uncertainty, the World’s Fair provided proof of what was to come. The goals for the Milan Expo were very similar but the public did not respond to
it nearly as well. When it was announced there was a lot of opposition. Protests were held in the streets of Milan as a part of the No Expo Movement. Protesters argued the the Expo was only going to benefit big businesses. The lure of a mass tourism event has passed. The pattern of expos has shown huge investments and not much positive impact for the nations people. Italy had been experiencing an economic downturn and the highstakes investment was not a popular decision. The government set aside 1.3 billion for infrastrucutre and construction surrounding the expo. When allegations of corruption started to
fill the news, the opposition to the expo intensified. Despite interuptions to the construcstion of the site the expo opened on time with only a few of the pavilions in complete. In six months the expo was estimated to have brought in twenty million visitors which met the projections for the event that had been set. This shows how much appeal events like the Milan Expo still have. Even though oposition has grown there is still a market for glitzy shows.
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“...Expos have become huge shows designed merely to attract millions of tourists. A giant area filled with enormous pavilions, one always more spectacular than the other, and these unbelievable vast halls for gastronomy, shops and pissoirs. What a bore and a waste of money and resources!� -Jacques Herzog
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The Pavillion
Herzog’s creative battle over the tone of the pavillions at the Milan Expo shows how important the pavillion is as a symbol of a nation. The construction of a Pavillion is a time for a country to wrap up all their efforts into one modern and forward thinking package. As I walked around the expo the outlandish architecture is the thing that screamed the loudest.
The Pavillion
The only thing that you didn’t have to wait in line to see was the Pavillions themselves. The exhibitions on the inside were primarily secondary to the buildings that housed them. As Oliver Wainwright wrote for The Guardian, “Because, ultimately, surely the only point of visiting an Expo is to marvel, drop-jawed with morbid fascination, at the bizarre architectural freak-show, and be entranced by the same sense of contemptuous captivation that comes from watching the Eurovision Song Contest. It is a spectacular mess, but it’s also fascinating to see national ambitions embodied, side by side, in a line-up of skin-deep architectural flourishes.” 17
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Reading through reports of both the Milan Expo and the 1939 World’s Fair there is an enourmous fascination with scale. The amount spent on each fair was speculated time and time again in magazines and newspapers along with the expected number of visitors. Even metrics like the number of trees planted at the 1939 World’s Fair become an exciting element of the spectacle. “The whole area covered by the Fair embraces 1,216 acres. There are 17 miles of roads, 45 miles of footpaths, and 300 buildings. About 2,000,000 growing plants are shown; there are 250 acres of lawn and 10,000 trees
Reading through reports of both the Milan Expo and the 1939 World’s Fair there is an enourmous fascination with scale. The amount spent on each fair was speculated time and time again in magazines and newspapers along with the expected number of visitors. Even metrics like the number of trees planted at the 1939 World’s Fair become an exciting element of the spectacle. “The whole area covered by the Fair embraces 1,216 acres. There are 17 miles of roads, 45 miles of footpaths, and 300 buildings. About 2,000,000 growing plants are shown; there are 250 acres of lawn and 10,000 trees
Reading through reports of both the Milan Expo and the 1939 World’s Fair there is an enourmous fascination with scale. The amount spent on each fair was speculated time and time again in magazines and newspapers along with the expected number of visitors. Even metrics like the number of trees planted at the 1939 World’s Fair become an exciting element of the spectacle. “The whole area covered by the Fair embraces 1,216 acres. There are 17 miles of roads, 45 miles of footpaths, and 300 buildings. About 2,000,000 growing plants are shown; there are 250 acres of lawn and 10,000 trees 19
“...it simply seems embarrassing to address this very important topic and at the same time build enormous, dramatically curved pavilions with facades in wavy plastic or with spectacular waterfalls or whatever.� -Jacques Herzog
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“It was a wonderful fair, with fantastic modern architecture, waterfalls coming down off buildings, lights shining upward at night upon the bright green young trees; with fountains, and fireworks, and a General Motors Futurama…”
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Expo and Enterprise
Arum adit ad quiasintur sime si offic te volores num volut acepellabor rehent. Is quam es ipid que dolupicipit moditi veresendi corionsequae sint aut ut eturercimpor alictem la is alicide lendunt et idelignit eos sequam fuga. Nem re pro occae aut laut aut atis ut aligent. Molest pliquos sed magnat et que nis volest quiam, ipicatem vendeliquam fuga. Nemquas delibus ut accate cusam rem is a ium renient iatest, quis idessintore, sunt, alitatur arum aut eiusdae ceatur? Quiatur, ilignim quunt hit quatet ut reperiate volum vendus eiciendae volupta quiberchil in con nobisciminto est quosam, volor sum et es voloriatur sum nobit, ut as ma pore eum erum estis sequid qui ut fugiati onsequaspiet excea quam quam, officturit exerum re, nustius sitint as essima volenim usantiunt qui con perum dolorest, sed ut opti omnist que re natia vitiusdae. Nequodist, id molupta tectur? Quias ne sitaestrum, ulparitatur modi is nis maio doluptatur? Quis cusandem nihicimodis dolorro doluptur ab ipsam rem
Occuscit aquuntin nihicia sit endant. Ebit digent omnis que nem a qui sectendempor sed quam, omnist et ut re voloren ditatem lab ipsumqui dolorum volupta nam consequo vollaut ectibus aut aut omniscim adiae. Que endeles tecepro dem int.Mossequat ommo con earcia ni beriorero quatque pernatem derati as esciis atur apiet ra exceperibus mint verchil lacieniminis quam excerem cuptatu ribusdae et unt rem ipsus aut descium nus seque occuptatem rectotae sus dolumenis recae quia coreperia vent eictorrum voloria tiatquosant ea volor aut quia niae nusae odi voluptur? Exceptatia voloreruntus aut la pe cullentur renderferios aciis et optatur rehenim quasperia quasped ut officid ignate venihit et volorersperi ut earchit imodit laboremporit andam as et eiur, cus doluptatis rectio estiossus et aut pro ex elitatiissum hilictem. Ceaturestiam quatiscimo ipidunt offici nam, omnia si dolum quam, que dollaut vitibus cipsunt velector sapiendeles ea cum venis quat provit quodiossima solore volore, quunt lab inveristis eicid exces ulluptae. Sapis ut 25
Occuscit aquuntin nihicia sit endant.
Occuscit aquuntin nihicia sit endant.
Ebit digent omnis que nem a qui sectendempor sed quam, omnist et ut re voloren ditatem lab ipsumqui dolorum volupta nam consequo vollaut ectibus aut aut omniscim adiae. Que endeles tecepro dem int.
Ebit digent omnis que nem a qui sectendempor sed quam, omnist et ut re voloren ditatem lab ipsumqui dolorum volupta nam consequo vollaut ectibus aut aut omniscim adiae. Que endeles tecepro dem int.
Mossequat ommo con earcia ni beriorero quatque pernatem derati as esciis atur apiet ra exceperibus mint verchil lacieniminis quam excerem cuptatu ribusdae et unt rem ipsus aut descium nus seque occuptatem rectotae sus dolumenis recae quia coreperia vent eictorrum voloria tiatquosant ea volor aut quia niae nusae odi voluptur? Exceptatia voloreruntus
Mossequat ommo con earcia ni beriorero quatque pernatem derati as esciis atur apiet ra exceperibus mint verchil lacieniminis quam excerem cuptatu ribusdae et unt rem ipsus aut descium nus seque occuptatem rectotae sus dolumenis recae quia coreperia vent eictorrum voloria tiatquosant ea volor aut quia niae nusae odi voluptur? Exceptatia voloreruntus
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Arum adit ad quiasintur sime si offic te volores num volut acepellabor rehent. Is quam es ipid que dolupicipit moditi veresendi corionsequae sint aut ut eturercimpor alictem la is alicide lendunt et idelignit eos sequam fuga. Nem re pro occae aut laut aut atis ut aligent. Molest pliquos sed magnat et que nis volest quiam, ipicatem vendeliquam fuga. Nemquas delibus ut accate cusam rem is a ium renient iatest, quis idessintore, sunt, alitatur arum aut eiusdae ceatur? Quiatur, ilignim quunt hit quatet ut reperiate volum vendus eiciendae volupta quiberchil in con nobisciminto est quosam, volor sum et es voloriatur sum nobit, ut as ma
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Exhibitions of Power
Arum adit ad quiasintur sime si offic te volores num volut acepellabor rehent. Is quam es ipid que dolupicipit moditi veresendi corionsequae sint aut ut eturercimpor alictem la is alicide lendunt et idelignit eos sequam fuga. Nem re pro occae aut laut aut atis ut aligent. Molest pliquos sed magnat et que nis volest quiam, ipicatem vendeliquam fuga. Nemquas delibus ut accate cusam rem is a ium renient iatest, quis idessintore, sunt, alitatur arum aut eiusdae ceatur? Quiatur, ilignim quunt hit quatet ut reperiate volum vendus eiciendae volupta quiberchil in con nobisciminto est quosam, volor sum et es voloriatur sum nobit, ut as ma pore eum erum estis sequid qui ut fugiati onsequaspiet excea quam quam, officturit exerum re, nustius sitint as essima volenim usantiunt qui con perum dolorest, sed ut opti omnist que re natia vitiusdae. Nequodist, id molupta tectur? Quias ne sitaestrum, ulparitatur modi is nis maio doluptatur? Quis cusandem nihicimodis dolorro doluptur ab ipsam rem
Occuscit aquuntin nihicia sit endant. Ebit digent omnis que nem a qui sectendempor sed quam, omnist et ut re voloren ditatem lab ipsumqui dolorum volupta nam consequo vollaut ectibus aut aut omniscim adiae. Que endeles tecepro dem int.Mossequat ommo con earcia ni beriorero quatque pernatem derati as esciis atur apiet ra exceperibus mint verchil lacieniminis quam excerem cuptatu ribusdae et unt rem ipsus aut descium nus seque occuptatem rectotae sus dolumenis recae quia coreperia vent eictorrum voloria tiatquosant ea volor aut quia niae nusae odi voluptur? Exceptatia voloreruntus aut la pe cullentur renderferios aciis et optatur rehenim quasperia quasped ut officid ignate venihit et volorersperi ut earchit imodit laboremporit andam as et eiur, cus doluptatis rectio estiossus et aut pro ex elitatiissum hilictem. Ceaturestiam quatiscimo ipidunt offici nam, omnia si dolum quam, que dollaut vitibus cipsunt velector sapiendeles ea cum venis quat provit quodiossima solore volore, quunt lab inveristis eicid exces ulluptae. Sapis ut 29
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Reading through reports of both the Milan Expo and the 1939 World’s Fair there is an enourmous fascination with scale. The amount spent on each fair was speculated time and time again in magazines and newspapers along with the expected number of visitors. Even metrics like the number of trees planted at the 1939 World’s Fair become an exciting element of the spectacle. “The whole area covered by the Fair embraces 1,216 acres. There are 17 miles of roads, 45 miles of footpaths, and 300 buildings. About 2,000,000 growing plants are shown; there are 250 acres of lawn and 10,000 trees
Reading through reports of both the Milan Expo and the 1939 World’s Fair there is an enourmous fascination with scale. The amount spent on each fair was speculated time and time again in magazines and newspapers along with the expected number of visitors. Even metrics like the number of trees planted at the 1939 World’s Fair become an exciting element of the spectacle. “The whole area covered by the Fair embraces 1,216 acres. There are 17 miles of roads, 45 miles of footpaths, and 300 buildings. About 2,000,000 growing plants are shown; there are 250 acres of lawn and 10,000 trees
transplanted and set as in landscape gardens… The total cost of construction was about 155,000,000. About 60,000,000 people, including repeaters, are expected to pay admission…” -National Geographic
This quote regarding the 1939 World’s Fair is from one of many articles I found that is written in this way. The focus of much of the promotional material for the events is on large numbers rather than large ideas. Visitors are drawn in my the grand spectacle of the crowds and the large concentration of visual display. Although expos have always been a means of bringing tourist dollars into a city, the public’s perception 31
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Nationalism, brand identity, propaganda, politics and economics, all wrapped up in spectacle and shiny architectural gestures: Expos, says author and historian Paul Greenhalgh, are a quintessentially modern invention – the most effective peaceable way to wage war. -Paul Greenhalgh
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“Such events will increasinlgy take place in countries where democratic systems are not so well developed an such shows serve as propaganda for the political regime.” -Jacques Herzog “New York World’s Fair 1939 is no longer a vision, no longer a figment of man’s dream expressed soley in terms of artists’ sketches, models, word pictures.” Life Magazine
“Sixty nations took part; the only conspicuous absentee was Germany. (At that moment Hitler had more pressing business to attend to: it was in the spring of 1939 that he overran Czechoslovakia, in defiance of the Munich agreement.)”
“Th de co am ver Ne vis in hig str an Lif
“It’s har endeavo misplac
-Oliver W
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c I left wondering why so many countries “The World’s Fair celend - many very poor with starving citizens brates the 150th anniver- would make the large investment tosary of the inauguration be present at what seems like a giant, of George Washington glitzy tourist information show. as President. This is its theme: “A happier way of American living through a recognition of the interdependence of men, and the building of a better world of tomorrow with the tools of today.”
he fair, however, has always eclared primly that it is more oncerned with instruction than musement. An out-and-out adrtising venture, sponsored by ew York businessmen who expect “‘The world of tomorrow’ sitors to spend $1,000,000,000 their city, the Fair has a will be fantasitcaly big and bright” gh-sounding purpose: to demonrate the interdependence of-Life menMagazine nd the blessings of democracy.” fe
“The interior of the Heinz Dome is spectacular, spacious and impressive with notable examples of sculpture, interesting murals done in a modern manner, a great center fountain and dramatic lightning effects. Here are 20,000 square feet of rd not to see the whole exhibit space, providing many different our as a monumentally ced allocation of resources.” types of entertainment for the visitor.” Heinz Exhibit Wainwright
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