Expo 2020 Dubai: First look at Australia Pavilion’s visitor journey

On Tuesday, select media were given an exciting sneak peek of the visitor experiences at the Australia Pavilion, based in the Mobility District of Expo 2020 Dubai. Championing the theme ‘Blue Sky Dreaming’, the cloud-shaped pavilion comes bearing three visually immersive galleries in its approximately 24-minute itinerary. “We have condensed the aspirations of our [country] into this building,” said Commissioner General Justin McGowan in his inaugural speech at the event. “It has taken 500,000 of hours of effort in Australia and here in the UAE. We will draw our resourcefulness from our 60,000 years of civilisation, which will be seen all throughout the visitor experience.”

The forecourt of the pavilion, which was kept under wraps, stages an authentic Aussie café and grill eatery that offers Melbourne-style coffee culture as well as a stage. Instead, the media were ushered in through the back, where in front of the solid black building (as opposed to the white façade on the other end) two bubbly personalities welcomed guests. Mascots koala Wattle and her sidekick butterfly Jali, which hovers above her head, will keep visitors company, and they are more than happy to have children snap photos with them.

WELCOME STORIES. Opening the experience is an introductory tunnel, decked with vibrant street art courtesy of Australian Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara artist Josh Muir. Stepping into this neon purple passageway filled with ambient narration is the equivalent of entering a futuristic portal – an apt beginning to a three-part story of Australia. “We are much stronger and much richer as a result of our multicultural composition,” said McGowan, commenting on the gallery.

As visitors walk through the dark, enclosed space, dimly lit by violet neon tubes, they will find themselves reflected between the angular jutting arms of the tunnel walls. Mirrors here are installed with screens featuring visuals of the Australian seas and land that are captioned, the words sung by a poignant voice filtering through the space. “We thank you for inviting us onto your country to share our stories, share our songs,” solemnly sings the narrator before the screen fades out to a regular mirror.

STAR DREAMING GALLERY. At the end of the tunnel lies the star gallery of the show, a 360-degree planetarium that pays homage to the first stargazers among us – the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. About 60,000 years ago, they tracked the movements of the celestial bodies in the sky and weaved tales that outlived generations, helping them navigate and becoming integral to the communities.

When you enter, there are birds are chirping and kangaroos hopping about with the sun high in the spherical screen overhead. The scenery changes quickly with the sinking sun, however, and nightfall signals the start of the show as stars and the Milky Way galaxy become more vivid in the sky. Visitors then live through an immersive storytelling of the way of the indigenous communities and their millennia-long relationship with astronomy. ‘Dreaming’ tales of, for instance, the Pleiades constellation seen as seven sisters, will make up the dramatic narration.

ANNIKA’S JOURNEY. Another cinematic gallery will pick up where the planetarium left off in the final leg of the journey. “Annika is a young girl; a lot of the stories you will see here will be through her eyes,” said McGowan. Annika’s aspirations in her homeland will unfold over a series of interlinked videos, taking her through the country as she begins by diving into the blue sea.

The rectangular cinematic space is a sharp contrast to the domed ceiling of the planetarium that the visitors will leave behind. Before the screening gears up, there is even a momentary illusion of the roof descending upon you.

You will be met with projectors pointing to the floor, shooting hot beams of white light in a row installed around a mirrored ceiling at the centre. When the lights shift to the walls, all four corners come to life, painting the room in sights and achievements unique to Australia. For more on the country pavilion's offerings such as snag in a bun, check out: https://gulfnews.com/expo-2020/news/expo-2020-dubai-australias-ingenuity-has-not-ended-with-the-invention-of-wi-fi-says-envoy-1.1621250441803