On an extremely hot summers day at the EXPO MILANO 2015, it was easy to be seduced by the crystal blue waters of the pool featured at the front of the Czech Republic pavilion. As a world leader in water purification technology, the pool represented the Czech long tradition of water management and primacy in environmentally friendly water purification using nanotechnology. A large sculpture of a bird by the pool, recalls the Czech success in the field of veterinary medicine. The pavilion was designed with a modular construction of recycled material. Its 100% functionality was capped by a zero ecological footprint, which will continue to serve even after Expo 2015.
Eye-catching, but my most impressive find was inside the pavilion.
Laboratory of Silence - "In every sound sleeps the silence"
I was impressed. Designed by students of the Czech Technical University with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the installation was an interactive display that evoked the atmosphere of a sample of typical Czech forest. An observer was stopped in silence to observe the surrounding forest installation. Using advanced camera technologies, a video stream projected in real time a slow and continuous zoom into the forest installation, revealing the secret world of plants, down to cellular structure.
By remaining quiet and stopping at marked spots visitors experienced an interactive multimedia presentation that illustrated cells and biological processes. They learned details of the plant kingdom through projection screens connected to cameras zooming into the microscopic systems. Initially the plants were viewed in full but as zoom increased you took note of the leaves, bark, soil, and insects, culminating in cellular level. This interactive installation was educational and a unique way to create awareness of the importance of plants and their ecosystems.
My learning here was to stop, listen and look closely at what surrounds us in nature, realise everything serves a purpose and all plants and creatures, big and small play an important role in the world.
Through my blog and social media I will be sharing my experiences and knowledge, and how we can all contribute to a sustainable healthy future.
EXPO 2016 will be hosted by Turkey and between 23 April and 30 October with a horticultural focus and the philosophy "A Green Life for Future Generations”. Read my previous blog “A green life, planet and future” to find out more about EXPO 2016.
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