brussels world expo 1958
Edward Bawden crest, designed for the British Pavilion at the Brussels Expo in 1958. Image Credit: Supplied/Central Office of Information
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Dubai: Similar to the goals of Expo 2020 Dubai, the Royal College of Art’s (RCA) philosophy is built on the idea that art, design, creative thinking, science, engineering and technology must all collaborate to solve today's global challenges. In an effort to promote this idea, the Department for International Trade announced the RCA as the Official Heritage Partner of the UK Pavilion at Expo.

RCA will showcase the strength and importance of art, design and innovation engineering – highlighting the role that education plays in ensuring that Britain can innovate for a sustainable future. At Expo 2020, the RCA will display a range of interdisciplinary projects from their staff, students and recent graduates. Their work is premised around sustainability, the circular economy, inclusive design, intelligent mobility and the future of fashion.

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Artistic rendering of the UK Pavilion façade at Expo 2020 Dubai Image Credit: Supplied

Dr Paul Thompson, Vice-Chancellor of the RCA, said: “Throughout its 185 years, the Royal College of Art has always defined the future through creativity and innovation. I look forward to RCA staff and students demonstrating the incredible history and power of UK art and design, as the Heritage Partner for the UK Government’s contribution to this important global showcase.”

The RCA’s participation in the World Expos dates back to the very first exhibition in Great Britain in 1851. Moreover, Britain often delegated the task of creating the British section of the World Expos to the university. For example, parts of the UK Pavilion such as the lion and unicorn crest in the Brussel Expo in 1958 and the architecture at the Lisbon Expo in 1998 and the Shanghai Expo in 2010 were designed by the faculty and students of the RCA.

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Great Britain hosted the very first World Expo, welcoming six million visitors who marvelled at the displays of machinery, fine arts and raw materials. One of the most notable inventions on display was the printing press. The printing press was cutting edge technology for its time, it could produce 5,000 copies within an hour and was later used for the printing of “The Times” newspaper in the 19th century. In the Expo 2020, the UK pavilion will be showcasing displays related to artificial intelligence and space. Image Credit: Supplied

Laura Faulkner OBE, UK Commissioner General for Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “I’m thrilled that the RCA are continuing their legacy of work at World Expos with the United Kingdom at Expo 2020 Dubai. They will highlight the best of innovation from the UK’s past and show how the United Kingdom is always developing new solutions and creative approaches especially around the global issues being discussed at the Expo in Dubai.”

The UK’s participation theme at the Expo 2020 is ‘Innovating for a Shared Future’. The structure, designed by Es Devlin, is inspired by Stephen Hawking's project ‘Breakthrough Message’, featuring artificial intelligence (AI), space and communication.

- The writer is an intern with Gulf News.