Haibao, the chinese mascot, shows up in Bologna
Today the Mayor of Bologna, Flavio Delbono, presented the final plans for Bologna’s booth at the 2010 Expo in Shanghai (May 1st - October 31st 2010) which have been submitted to the organisational committee in China. For the first time in World Expo history, cities are the main focus of an Expo: Bologna was invited, together with 45 other cities from around the world, as an example of excellence in urban best practices. The other cities include Venice, Alessandria, Hamburg, Barcelona, Basel, Geneva, Zurich, Dusseldorf, Hong Kong, Cairo, Liverpool, London, Madrid, Montreal, Osaka, Paris-Ile de France, San Francisco, Sao Paolo, Seoul and Vancouver.
The 406 square metre booth was given to Bologna free of charge and will be set up in Pavilion B3-2 (funded by the Italian Ministry for the Environment) in the “Urban Best Practices Area”. The project, created by concept designer Antonio Mastrorocco in partnership with Consorzio Creativo Library and Loop Multimedia Creations in Bologna, is designed to offer visitors a captivating multisensory experience. The design concept aims to show the main features of Bologna in terms of tradition and innovation, from the beauty of its medieval architecture to its outstanding cultural heritage and economic production system.
The exhibition space is divided into 6 themed areas: the portico, the streets, the tower, the city gate, the bicycle and the piazza (main square). These elements have been chosen specifically to represent the four themes which earned Bologna its place at Expo 2010: “culture and creativity”, “technological innovation”, “human rights and social inclusion” and “urban and infrastructural transformation”.
The portico. A covered structure symbolising Bologna’s porticos, made up of 10 backlit columns that reproduce some of the city’s real columns. Photographic images of Bologna’s artistic and cultural heritage (history, culture, University, etc.) are projected onto the ceiling above. The visual exploration is enhanced by sound effects in the background: audio installations between the columns reproduce the atmosphere of the city with its hum of voices, noise, sounds and music.
The streets. Visitors interact with a video-projection on the floor that recreates the pavements of Bologna’s characteristic medieval streets: with each step the images change taking the shape of porphyry, cobblestones and Sanpietrini paving stones, engaging visitors in an enchanting virtual stroll through the city streets.
The tower. The medieval tower is a symbol of Bologna’s history. In recognition of its importance, a 7 metre tower rises up from the booth. The front of this tower is a video-wall made up of LCD screens showing images of Bologna’s towers as well as other buildings and architectural features of the city.
The city gate. Another urban feature from the city’s historical past, the city gate represents a virtual threshold or passageway between two worlds, Bologna and Shanghai. Videos and pictures showing everyday life in Bologna, the markets and city squares will be projected onto a big screen in the booth.
The bicycle. One of the best-loved means of transport for the Bolognese. There will be five bicycles in the booth, each one set up in front of a monitor playing a video of a bike journey through the streets of Bologna’s city centre. The video is interactive and is controlled by the visitor pedalling so that they feel like they are really moving. When the visitor starts pedalling, the video begins and it runs at the same pace as the pedalling, allowing the spectator to slow down or speed up their ride through the historic city centre.
The Piazza (main square). This is the urban feature that characterises Italian city culture, especially that of Bologna, and is a symbol of openness and welcome. In the booth, this feature is brought to life by a circular half-moon onto which images and videos are projected showing the city, its key features and hot spots.
There will also be an area called “Innovation District & Corner Shop” with 10 LCD screens that will show Chinese visitors the best of Bologna’s economic production and supply chains. A rotating platform (almost 5m in diameter) will display products that symbolise the “made in Bologna” sector. The Corner Shop will also sell gadgets (except for fresh products and stuffed meat products which are prohibited by BIE/Expo regulations). Multimedia totems set up in the booth will send information via Bluetooth about Bologna, the local economic production system, culture, tourism, food and drink and many other examples of Bolognese excellence.
The Mayor also introduced Haibao, the Chinese mascot for Expo 2010. The mascot’s name, meaning “the treasure of the sea”, is a typical lucky name in Chinese tradition. The imaginary character was created by the Expo organisers based on the Chinese character for “people”. The underlying concept is that the protagonists of Expo 2010 should be the people: people who are able to work together to create a better society for a better life, as in the Expo claim “Better City, Better Life”. The mascot’s blue colour represents water, bringing to mind Shanghai’s location as a coastal city. The organisers chose Haibao from among more than 26,500 entries, from all over the world, in the competition held to find the best idea for the mascot. His smile bids a warm welcome to the 2010 Expo Shanghai.
