A pavilion that tells the story of
Italy's past splendour, its art and artisan skills, but also the
story of a country that wants to focus strongly on the future,
on innovation and sustainability, promoting Italian companies
and products and taking Italy closer to Japan and the whole of
Asia in the process - that is the pavilion Italy will build for
Expo Osaka 2025.
The pavilion project was presented on Monday by Commissioner
General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, Ambassador Mario Vattani,
at the Rome headquarters of Unioncamere as part of the XIV
Festival della Diplomazia (Festival of Diplomacy).
Vattani was preceded by Japanese Ambassador to Italy Suzuki
Satoshi's presentation of the Expo structure - which is being
built on an artificial island in Japan's second city - featuring
a wooden 'ring' around a vast area where the national pavilions
will be hosted with a man-made forest at the centre.
"We expect 28.2 million visitors, a highly ambitious goal,"
explained the Japanese ambassador.
"The ring, which it will be possible to walk on and will be
dismantled and recycled at the end of the Expo, is the symbol of
unity in diversity".
The envoy then explained the various aspects of the Osaka 2025
theme, Designing Future Societies for Our Lives.
"It aims to be a place where the world's wisdom is collected"
and where each pavilion will have to devote space to at least
one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he said.
As he showed the rendering of the Italian Pavilion, designed by
Mario Cucinella, Vattani highlighted how the entrance was a
reference to the 'Ideal City' paintings that are among the
symbols of the Italian Renaissance, and how the pavilion
develops on various levels for its various functions.
"There are no people and no greenery in the ideal city
(paintings)," he said.
"We, on the other hand, have put a garden next to the restaurant
on the terrace, for example, where there is a restaurant that
looks towards the sunset.
"A terrace that can be admired by those walking on the ring".
The commissioner - an expert on Japan - stressed the strength of
the historic ties between Rome and Japan and how Japan is
crucial for shifting our outlook towards Asia.
"It's the region of the world that looks most to the future, it
makes plans, it is the most ambitious region in the world," he
said.
"We want Italian young people and companies to come into contact
with Asia and the future. A wooden structure, built with the
Japanese company Nishio, seeks to display modernity, elegance
and sustainability".
Vattani added that, for the first time at a universal
exposition, the Italian Pavilion will host a space for the Holy
See, and he said that the whole structure will be modular,
capable of hosting all kinds of events, meetings and
presentations, from those regarding art to gastronomy,
craftsmanship and agriculture.
"But, for us, art is not just painting, sculpture or music, it
is also craftsmanship and know-how," he said. "And our slogan
will be art regenerates life".
The ambassador said work on the pavilion should begin this
December.
Plenipotentiary Minister Andrea Canepari of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation's central
directorate for integrated promotion and innovation also took
part in the presentation.
Canepari stressed how Italy's participation at Expo Osaka was
developing via close cooperation between the ministry and the
commissioner general in the direction set out by Foreign
Minister Antonio Tajani.
"The minister considers diplomacy to be a key element for
growth," Canepari said. "The experience of this pavilion will be
able to provide the tools on how to implement it (diplomacy for
growth) to our embassies around the world.
"This is why he wanted the ministry to be heavily involved in
the event".
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