image © Azerbaijan Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

Azerbaijan is a unique model of biodiversity. Awareness of its strategic position, as a cultural bridge between North and South, East and West, has inspired policies to protect the territory of this country, with its wealth of natural, human and cultural resources.Azerbaijan, a “biosphere” that protects growth and development of the environment and its resources. A biosphere is like a symphony in which elements coexist in perfect balance, revealing an overall vision that exhibits a unique richness.

Ground floor – Welcome

image © Azerbaijan Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

Symphony of Azerbaijan

The ground floor welcomes the visitor and brings him closer to history, to the cultural heritage and natural beauty of the country, thanks to two main installations: an interactive Musicwall and the pavilion’s first biosphere.The Symphony expresses harmony between man and the environment and the soul of a country suspended between innovation and tradition.

Mirroring Baku

The first installation the visitor encounters when entering the pavilion is Mirroring Baku:a wooden structure with a man-sized interactive projection connected with identical installations located around Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The intention is to connect visitors to the Pavilion with the citizens of Baku in real time.

image © Azerbaijan Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

Musicwall 

The large wall that welcomes the visitor on the ground floor depicts an interactive copper pentagram that recalls the importance of music in Azerbaijani culture, a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.The pentagram continues all along the pavilion: copper notes and dozens of monitors form “the harmony of Azerbaijan”, on which a flow of images and significant information about the country are shown. This flow of information is activated by people interacting with the installation. Azerbaijan is depicted through key aspects: its geography, nature, unique and precious biodiversity, thousand-year history, multifaceted culture and values.All this represents respect for its tradition and for other cultures and religions, innovative vision, focus on the cultural and natural heritage.

Biosphere 1 – Crossroad

Here visitors are placed at the centre of the country, a crossroad of stories and culture. A large video installation bring them immediately into contact with the most significant historical and natural views.

Floor 1 – Symphony of Colours

The first floor is strewn with colourful flowerbeds, equipped with monitors and sound showers,providing an immersive experience among the colours and landscapes of Azerbaijan.This level is dedicated to the colours of Azerbaijan, expressed through its great variety of landscapes, which make it one of the world’s 25  biodiversity hotspots. In addition to the scenery, the monitors also show how the nation has grown through defining technological, agricultural and artistic projects.

image © Arassociati

Biosphere 2 – Biodiversity

The biosphere is dedicated to biodiversity. The central installation reproduces a large pomegranate tree, the fruit of which is the nation’s symbol, representing the richness and variety of Azerbaijan. Diversity is understood in terms of multiplicity, plurality and richness, in natural and anthropological terms.Within the sphere, a series of monitors is in fact dedicated to video portraits of Azerbaijani people. These Portraits of Azerbaijan show a cross-section of the country, revealing the deep energy that fuels it.

image © Azerbaijan Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

Floor 2 – Symphony of Tastes

The second floor is dedicated to the flavours of Azerbaijan: the world of Azerbaijani food, its variety, GMO-free production, recipes, health benefits as yet unknown to many and strategies to preserve this heritage for posterity. An upturned tree is a metaphor for the relationship between innovation and Azerbaijani tradition. The roots look upwards and gather inspiration to nourish the vision of the future and feed the fruits of innovation. In the upper part of the biosphere, the roots of the tree describe the strong traditions that support the vision of the country’s future. Among these roots, works of craftsmanship, history and culture are illustrated.

The lower portion wraps the visitor in the foliage of the upturned tree. The spirit of renewal that is currently enlivening Azerbaijan is shown on three panels on which the guest can choose one of three paths - air, water and earth - on which to explore the country that is growing towards the future.

image © Azerbaijan Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

image © Azerbaijan Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

image © Azerbaijan Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

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