The end of the 19th century was marked with great techological and social advances. It was the fashion at the time for countries to host World's Fairs. From 1859 in London, with Joseph Paxton's giant Crystal Palace, on through the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, the World's Fair circuit was lively and interesting. I propose that we re-create world's fairs in a way that highlights progress in light of the worldwide authoritarian movement.
The old-fashioned World's Fairs continued on into the 20th century as late as Expo '76 in Montreal. What happened?
David Gelernter, in "1939: The World of the Fair" recounts the New York World's Fair of that year. He supposes that generational fatigue set in. By the 1960s, the progress which worlds' fairs celebrated had a backlash, and by Montreal Expo '76 this backlash had grown. Vietnam, choking pollution, fossil fuel crisis, and a divergence of opinion on what progress is.
Today, progress is considered unfashionable. The world has reached a point where large multinational corporations have so much power that it is in their vested interest to maintain status quo. Progress disrupts this status quo.
I think of the World's Fair culture as one that acknowledged that freedom and creativity were undeniably improving life, and that institutions endorsed this. Today, institutions are largely negative agents - defining rules, imposing terms and conditions, and sponsoring the clamp down.
Authoritarian dictatorships' favorite input is arms, which large multinational corprations have plenty of. Their favorite output is refugees. Think about how America welcomed Cuban refugees in 1961 when Castro came to power in Cuba. And Cubans have contributed to American life, culture, knowledge, and society at every level.
However today we have dictators in Venezuela, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and some would say Mexico. [it'll be interesting to watch the new leader.] Do we welcome these refugees? Hell, no. So it is ironic that authoritarianism, the cause of immigration, begets more authoritarianism today.
This seems like a wheel turning and picking up speed. What's next: France? Germany? The UK? America?
As an architect I will stop short of commentary on social order, as I have noticed that many well-meaning architects who stray into social/political theory seem to lose their way quickly. Stick to what you know, that's my mantra.
Instead I propose that we do create a new World's Fair series that focuses on progress. In order to escape detection from the large corporations and their political stooges, these would ideally be staged in abandoned shopping malls or churches that are adapted to become showcases of progress.
Imagine a World's Fair where you could immerse in Webb telescope images. A World's Fair where you could experience different cultures virtually, to understand them better. A World's Fair with electric-hydrogen engine technology. Halls devoted to AI, genetic research, 3d printing advances, and many other features.
Imagine a world's fair where you can see the concept of sustainability expressed as a form of beauty, not just a techno-jargon-contraption. The poetry of sustainability will be what drives it forward - we cleave to what is beautiful and rewarding, rather than cleave to a concept out of fear of extinction.
Imagine a world's fair with halls devoted to the peoples of the world and their architecture.
Imagine that.
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