PAVILION LILLE EUROPE

As part of the Shanghai 2010 Universal Exhibition, lille3000 and Lille Metropole (France) will be opening a representative showcase right in the heart of the city, from May to July, in conjunction with the Hong Miao Gallery, located in a former Taoist temple (Nanjing Road). The Lille Europe Pavilion will be one of five French pavilions at the Universal Exhibition.

Sharing the same mindset as the major Lille European Capital of Culture 2004 and lille3000 events, the Pavilion will highlight the culture, gastronomy, artists and innovation of northern european companies Lille Europe Pavilion will host artistic, fun and interactive items in addition to the Futurotextiles exhibition.

Based on the mobile Futurotextiles module as well as different artistic displays and a bar/tasting area providing gastronomic specialities, this area can serve as a meeting point for northern expatriates living in China, as well as a place for welcoming the press, the Chinese and international public who will be visiting the Universal exhibition.

Resolutely focused demonstrating the economic vitality of Lille and the surrounding area, the Lille Europe Pavilion will be a lively showcase for the creativity of our companies and the excellence of our competitive clusters. it will thus be possible for it to be booked – part of it or the whole Pavilion – by companies – for an hour, a day, an evening or longer – for business or professional meetings, private evenings, or presenting products and know-how.

Exhibitions

Installed in an erstwhile Taoist temple, the Lille Europe Pavilion is decorated in red, a symbol of the happiness of the Empire Centre.

Visitors are welcomed by perfumed bubbles smelling of violets thought up of by the famous creative talent Francis Kurkdjian, and by a sound system designed by Soundwalk conveying the atmosphere of Northern France. It encapsulates the feel of brasseries, stations and markets.

The scenography of the installation is the work of Franklin azzi architecture. Lights made by the Belgian designers Wever and Ducré, inspired by traditional crystal chandeliers, are in place throughout the pavilion.

Not far enough, a strange cybernautical and hybrid beast stands menacingly – this is the work of the artist France Cadet, provides visitors with a novel welcome. The Shadow Monsters by Philip Worthington invites those people who enter to create their own Chinese shadows.

In the next room there is a work by the artist N.G. Kingsley, a reference to the textile tradition of the North of France. It is a musical weaving loom just waiting for you to touch its noise-creating fibres.

The next part of the exhibition presents a series of items from the Futurotextiles exhibition. Initiated by lille3000 and presented at the Lille Postal Sorting Centre in 2006, Futurotextiles was also displayed in Istanbul in 2007, Coutrai in 2008, and will be exhibited in Jakarta in May 2010. This exhibition presents textile-related innovations through different examples mixing art, science, technologies, design and architecture.

Futurotextiles presents a model of the Ariane 5 rocket containing fabrics almost lighter than air, a bicycle made of fax fibres, some rather odd garments such as a spaceman’s suit and another suit that that can withstand temperatures of up to 4,000 degrees C.

The first toile woven using optic fibres by Daniel Buren, created with the help of Brochier Technologies (Lightex) will be on display near the Butterfy Dress by Pierre Cardin featuring lurex refections.

An homage to the Mona Lisa will be paid with this strange painting made up of 5,000 reels of coloured thread created by the American artist Devorah Sperber.

As for Bertrand Gadenne, he has put forward one of his image architectural pieces, taking on the form of a curious aquarium.

Maisons de Mode presents three outfits specially designed for the Lille Europe Pavilion, with photoluminescent threads and micro capsules with a relaxing effect.

A series of interactive installations will be on display near the mobile Futurotextiles module.

With Akousmafore, the French duo Scenocosme, has created a garden made up of real musical plants that react upon being touched. By means of another tactile technique, Contacts showcases the bodies of the spectators turning them into musical instruments.

Visitors will literally be able to rinse their eyes in a curious device created by Magali Desbazeille.

At the end of the visit, on the terrace, visitors will be able to listen to Ulysses Voyage, a sound-focused creation dreamt up of by the Soundwalk group.

After visiting the exhibition, it will be possible for the general public to sit down and enjoy a gourmet treat in the bar/tasting area run by the Meert company specially created for the occasion.