Science Now, Stellar Fireworks and Tellart will prepare the story about Poland at the EXPO 2020 in Dubai

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Exhibition EXPO 2020 in Dubai has been postponed for a year and will take place between 1/10/2021 and 31/03/2022. Despite the  change in dates, the organizers have decided to leave the current name of the event: EXPO 2020. The exhibition moto: „By combining minds, we create the future.” Poland, has maintaining its willingness to participate in this, the  world’s largest promotional and economic event and is developing a program supporting Polish companies in the post-pandemic reality.

– The current situation presents us with new challenges. Our basic assumptions contained in the Program Concept remain unchanged, however, we are taking into account the epidemiological context, when working on the narrative of the Pavilion, its multimedia content, as well as in the economic program and in all the other areas of our preparations for EXPO 2020.  Work on our exhibition, will be based on the organizer’s guidelines and the UAE’s regulations in the area of sanitary safety. In our main communication, we will preserve to convey  universal messages about Poland, concentrating on particular economic aspects. Based on the motto of the Poland Pavilion, we want to show Poland as a country of creative and resourceful people, also in the context of  the struggle with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Observing the commitment, energy and  need for cooperation among organizers and participants, we believe that the momentum of the World Exhibition in the new time frame will be impressive. EXPO 2020 in Dubai will be one of the first truly global economic events that will be stationary in nature and thus redefine the value of direct interpersonal contacts – explains Adrian Malinowski,  the Commissioner General of the Polish section of the World Exhibition EXPO 2020 in Dubai.

Participants of the competition for „The development of the concept of the multimedia material in the Poland Pavilion at the World Exhibition EXPO Dubai 2020” were invited to prepare their concepts  in two parts:  a strategic part – consisting of creating the concept of presenting Poland through multimedia materials in the Poland Pavilion and a second  artistic part – involving the development of two samples of multimedia material (video material and animations). The work was judged by the competition committee, composed of marketing experts, representatives of Ministries and members of the EXPO 2020 Dubai Team at the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.

– The competition participants faced a difficult task of developing an intriguing story about contemporary Poland, which would complement the creative work developed so far, including the architectural and thematic concept. The winning entry was distinguished by its excellent strategic approach, while in the artistic part – its sensitivity in terms of content selection and  the building of the dramaturgy of the message. Taking into account the new circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have started to work intensively on the creative interpretation of the leading theme of the Poland Pavilion at EXPO 2020 ("Poland. Creativity inspired by nature"), which will result in creating a showcase of our country – an engaging and delightful story about Poland, Poles and technology inspired by nature – says Monika Dyląg-Sajór, Coordinator of the EXPO 2020 Dubai project at the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.

– Our goal is to present Poland through creativity, which  is the source of success in the economy, science and culture. We will build this universal message around values, ideas and attitudes unique to us  Poles – says Jan Pomierny, Chairman of the Board at Science Now, the leader of the winning consortium. World Exhibitions have always been an important platform for presenting cultural diversity,  economic achievements and aspirations. Our task will be to make the best use of the available means of expression – from multimedia through analog experience – and to translate them into an engaging story about contemporary Poland - added Łukasz Alwast, Board Member for Development and Co-founder of Stellar Fireworks.

– EXPO 2020 is the place where the whole world will meet to talk about future challenges together. It is with great pleasure that we have started to work together with Science Now, Stellar Fireworks and the Polish Investment and Trade Agency in creating the concept of the experience that visitors will be immerse in the Polish fragment of this story. It is a great opportunity for our team to learn about Polish culture and join in Polish creativity - says Nick Scappaticci, Founder and Head of Tellart studio.

The evaluation of competition entries was based on criteria, including attractiveness, creativity, modernity of the proposed concept and material, readability, especially in relation to the perception of a foreign recipient, as well as the level of consistency with PAIH’s guidelines contained in the brief.

The Poland Pavilion will be the main arena for the presentation of information about Poland, during the World Exhibition EXPO 2020 in Dubai. The creation of the concept and implementation of multimedia content by the winner of the competition will be the next step in building the message about our country, which will complete the architectural concept of the building.

Science Now is a Polish creative studio specializing in strategic design and the development of new business and research projects at the interface of science, education, art and entertainment. They are the creative partner of scientific and cultural institutions (including the European Space Agency, NOSPR, Ars Electronica) and companies involved in education, science and the development of new technology (among others Synthos, Bank PKO BP, Platige Image). They also develop their original, interdisciplinary ART + DESIGN + SCIENCE program addressed to young Polish artists.

Stellar Fireworks is a Polish production studio specializing in the implementation of narrative projects for amusement parks, science centers and museums as well as branded environments projects for companies and institutions. The studio is, among other projects, responsible  for the implementation of the international travel exhibition „Above & Beyond” presenting the last 100 years of exploration of the Universe, the show „The legend of the magic pearl” in the original format of multimedia theater on the water, and the script and conceptual work on the new permanent exhibition at the Museum of Municipal Engineering in Krakow. As part of its own projects, the studio develops concepts of immersion attractions and merchandising projects in the edutaiment area.

Tellart is an American-Dutch studio specializing in combining design, technology and culture in projects that stimulate intellectual and sensational transgression into the future. Since its establishment in 2000, the studio has been involved in creating interactive products and immersion experiences in cooperation with, among others, Google,the Science Museum in London, the V&A Museum, Toyota, the Dubai Future Foundation, the Singapore Economic Development Board, Samsung and the California Academy of Sciences. For their work they have been awarded with, among others, the Smithsonian Design Museum Award, SXSW Experimental, Cannes Lions, IxDA, Eurobest Grand Prix, Webby, Core77, D&AD Yellow Pencil. Tellart, together with partners is also responsible for the design and creation of the experience of the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at the World Exhibition EXPO 2020 in Dubai.

EXPO World Exhibitions are cyclical economic, promotional and cultural events, their prestige is comparable to the World Cup in Football or the Olympic Games. EXPO 2020 in Dubai will take place between October 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 and will be the first World Exhibition to be organized in an Arab country. Over 200 countries and organizations will participate in the six-month event. The organizers estimate that the Dubai Exhibition will be visited by 18 million guests who will make 25 million visits.

The decision-making process, to change the date of the Exhibition was a multi-stage one. The recommendation of the United Arab Emirates government and the EXPO 2020 Dubai Steering Committee were confirmed by the General Assembly of the World Exhibition Bureau- 113 countries participating in EXPO 2020 took part in the vote.

The themes of the exhibition recommended by the organizers – sustainable development and mobility – will be expanded by Poland in three thematic ways: technology, international cooperation and nature. The Poland Pavilion’s motto is: „Poland. Creativity inspired by nature. " Poland will be presented as a strong  center of cooperation that, through the development of science, offers the world sustainable, environmentally friendly technology inspired by nature.

The aims behind  Poland’s presence at EXPO in Dubai are two fold- to strengthening Poland’s image on the international stage and economic promotion. We intend to present  multidimensional technology, as well as Polish companies which represent strategic industries, from the point of view of export potential to the Middle East, and thus a real increase in business transactions. Poland’s participation in EXPO 2020 in Dubai will be a unique promotional opportunity for Polish  companies after the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Poland’s participation  in EXPO 2020 is accompanied by a wide variety of offers for Polish companies. They can apply for financial, organizational and promotional support, using Poland’s participation in EXPO 2020 in Dubai as an opportunity to build relation with business partners in the United Arab Emirates and the entire Persian Gulf. In connection with the change in the date of the World Exhibition, the EXPO 2020 Dubai team at the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, together with the substantive partners of the project is working on updating the offer for companies, which will be reflected in the new Program Concept, which will be presented to the Council of Ministers in the coming months.

More information on: www.expo.gov.pl

Anna Drozd
PR Manager
Poland at Expo
Polish Investment and Trade Agency
t. +48 22 334 99 27
m. +48 887 830 570
e. anna.drozd@paih.gov.pl

Alicja Kaczmarek
Senior Specialist
Press Office
Polish Investment and Trade Agency
t. +48 22 334 99 16
m. +48 885 681 932
e. alicja.kaczmarek@paih.gov.pl