First held in London in 1851, the Expo is a Universal Exposition organized by a host nation to interpret collective challenges to mankind. In 2015 – 658 days to be exact – Italy will host the Expo in Milano with the theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. This universal theme will display tradition, innovation and creativity in the food business.
The master plan, below, has been laid out for the exhibition of the 157 members of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), which in 2008 awarded Milano the distinction of 2015 host city.
Could there be a more central human theme?
Food is vital for the sustainable development of humanity, health and happiness. What we eat is highly personal, while the need to eat is universal. Beyond serving our need for nutrition, food is a bastion of cultural heritage honed over millennia as well as a remarkable human collaboration in agricultural science. Visitors and exhibitors will have plenty to talk about – and eat – as the world celebrates and explores food in Milano. As another gastronomic capital, I anticipate California will be well represented at the Expo.
“Expo Milano 2015 is an extraordinary opportunity for the development of Italy as a whole” expressed the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, recently in Monza. He added, "We want to put forward all the support that Italy is capable of giving to the development of a prolific cooperation between different continents and between the most developed regions and emerging regions in this globalised world.“
For the full theme guide, which paints an in-depth picture of what to expect, click here. For a sense of the architectural spaces we can expect, see the video below. This blog will continue coverage of Expo Milano 2015 and keep readers abreast of developments that relate to Italy as well as California.