Released: Sun 7 Nov 2021, 12:36 pm
There are fewer expressions in the English language that can be both terrifying and fascinating at the same time, similar to “art installation”. The dichotomous feelings that such a cultural perspective evokes, like all anxious feelings, stem from fear. Fear you’ll be stuck in a room with no exits for hours while someone grumbles about why a single lightbulb illuminating an empty white room represents their non-ideal childhood. Fear that you will be the only one who actually shows up for the great revelation and has to comfort the Creator as he gently weeps through his game. And maybe worst of all, after you make it there won’t be a souvenir shop. Like most fears, the fear is usually unfounded: a point that is becoming more apparent every day from Expo 2020 Dubai.
If you haven’t seen the greatest show in the world, you probably still know what permanent exhibitions each pavilion has. Tours through the past, present and future of the various countries go as expected – fascinating insights into the filigree fabric of the modern nation. What your attention may have skipped, however, is most, if not all, of the rotating installations, each with a specific theme. For example, the Russian Pavilion will literally be at the end of the month, devoting two days of free language classes. On November 28th and 29th, students of all ages and ability levels can follow an interactive and fun learning unit. As a car maniac, however, I noticed the activity in the home of the sports car (and superfood) Italy.
As one of the crown jewels of the automotive world, Maserati inherently represents some of the core values of its motherland: passion, innovation and beauty. The exhibition “Maserati: a story of luxury performance supercharged” designed by Centro Stile Maserati proved these attributes with ease. In the middle, an MC20 vehicle presented as an artistic concept was embodied by a series of three-dimensional metal objects. The pieces, which vary in color from natural aluminum and copper to the keynote color “Folgore” (an allusion to Maserati’s electrification strategy), evoked the future orientation of the brand. Two showcases on the topic of sustainability, not only of the engines, but also of the materials used in vehicle development such as Econyl, showed Italian biodiversity and also turned out to be very interesting. So if instillations to be won can entertain this petrol head dinosaur and educate them about the benefits of battery-powered transportation, there is something for you too. And yes, there are tons of souvenir shops.
