Architectural concept
Saving Lives
The arena for the presentation of Poland during World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai will be a national pavilion with an area of around 1,000 m² located in the thematic zone “Saving Lives”.
A wave of innovation
An architectural concept is based on the application of wood, and the form of a block is intended to evoke association with the spreading wave of creativity and innovation of Poles.
Respect for tradition
Designing an expressive wooden facade built using the traditional “Kigumi Koho” wood joining technique is a favour on Polish and Japanese traditional architecture.
Architects
The architectural concept of the Poland Pavilion was developed by Alicja Kubicka and Borja Martínez from Interplay Architects.
Heritage, Creativity and Artificial Intelligence
The exhibition concept developed by an interdisciplinary team in the Poland Pavilion consists of interactive artistic installations representing the “creativity gene” inscribed into Polish identity. The place’s climate is created by the combination of nature, tradition, science, and technology. Its driving force are the Visitors, who both experience and co-create the exhibition.
Main experiences
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Spirit Plant
The installation is based on parametric plants, which introduce the visitors to the healing world associated with herbs. The plants are created based on an algorithm, which based on the selection of available parameters, allows each of the visitors to compose an individual plant – “Spirit Plant”. The images created in this way will be displayed on semi-transparent screens, constituting an element of the scenography while providing a wonderful visual experience. They will introduce an evanescent, magical climate referring to ancient rituals and beliefs related to herbs. The installation engages visitors – they become coauthors and the plant remains as a souvenir – visitors can download it on the phone and share on social media.
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Seven Herbs
An animated herbarium presents the tradition of Polish herbalism through contemporary illustration and refers to the history of the Polish school of illustration. The herbarium is inspired by the Polish and Japanese convergent tradition of “Seven Herbs Soup”, which was cooked in the early spring and was meant to deliver vital nutrients to the body. A similar tradition, although based on different ingredients, is cultivated in Japan. The installation presents plants which contain substances with remedial, taste and flavour, to which magical powers have been attributed for ages. Some beliefs were confirmed by science, which with time, precisely described their operation.
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Preharvest
The installation is a symbolic representation of the variability of Polish nature and an unprecedented combination of biological knowledge and artistic expression. Polish plants closed in resin spheres are captured in an evanescent moment of transformation. Ephemeral forms immersed in transparent spheres, difficult to observe in the hustle and bustle of life, tell the story of life’s constant transformation. The installation is of a viral nature, encouraging people to share content on social media.
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The Most Polish Landscape
“The Most Polish Landscape” installation uses the method of artificial intelligence to bring visitors closer to the essence of the Polish landscape and show its diversity. The landscapes of Poland generated by AI on a panoramic screen evolve and change under the influence of visitor traffic. Individuals and groups of visitors moving across the screen determine the features of the displayed content. It smoothly changes, builds and transforms through poetic sequences of movements. The installation “trained” on thousands of pictures from various regions of Poland is capable of creating new, non-existent landscapes that are the ideal representation of the Polish nature of the landscape.
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Sound of Matter
A multisensory immersive installation inspired by the communal nature of the inhalation for health. The installation is inspired by the visual form of the graduation tower, the properties of wood, as well as social and communal nature of caring for health and well-being. Combining an exceptional experience with elements of immersion – light and sound effects, contemplation and meditation – it engages the senses and promotes relaxation.
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Aura
A unique instrument combining traditional craftsmanship and natural materials with modern digital technology from which an outstanding composer, instrumentalist and improviser will extract the essence of Fryderyk Chopin’s compositions, inspired by folk music and sounds from nature. “Aura” consists of more than a hundred independent modules, one can say that it is a digitally controlled “orchestra”, organically extracting sounds from natural materials. The heart of each “instrument” will be a fragment of willow associated with Chopin and obtained from the area of Żelazowa Wola. Thanks to the usage of artificial intelligence methods, the viewers will be able to subtly influence the movement of “Aura” becoming co-creators of the show.
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Generations
The dynamic gallery combines parametric plants “Spirit Plant” and constitutes an individual trace of each person who visited the Poland Pavilion during the six months of the Expo. The projections symbolise the combination of tradition and past, as well as set perfect experiences into a collective, solidarity-based creation. It is also a form of gratitude for everyone who visited the Poland Pavilion. The installation emphasises the creative potential of Poles in the area of new technologies.
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Verses
Poetic form inspired by Haiku, and lyrical miniatures by young Polish poets are a poetic commentary on the content presented in the Pavilion. The verses, written on the walls in various places in the Pavilion, constitute an inspiring form of dialogue with the exhibition. At the entrance to the concert hall, printed cards with poetry will fill an entire wall. Visitors will be able to take them as a keyword for building a common future.
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Nest
The zone inspired by concerts in the Royal Łazienki in Warsaw is located in front of the Poland Pavilion. It is based on the presentation of recordings of Fryderyk Chopin works performed by Japanese and Polish pianists available on wireless headphones, allowing immersion in the phenomenon of the composer’s music. The zone is being created in cooperation with the Fryderyk Chopin National Institute.
The creators of the exhibition concept
The curatorial team responsible for the exhibition concept includes Monika Brauntsch – KAFTI, Ewa Kierklo and Stanisław Kempa – GDYBY and Wiesław Bartkowski.