Thread by @thewire_in

As I approached the venue of the Expo 2020 Dubai, the intricately woven, carbon-fibre latticed entrance gate, created by the London-based Asif Khan Studio, took my breath away, writes R. Nagesh.
#DubaiExpo2020
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The Japan pavilion facade, which made one think joyously of origami art, was an exquisite demonstration of the theme of connecting minds – its distinct three-dimensional lattice work sought to combine traditional Japanese and Arab patterns.
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I was eager to visit the India pavilion. As far back as the 1960s India had made a name for itself at the Montreal, Sao Paulo, New York and Osaka world fairs by setting up remarkable pavilions with cutting edge architecture and design.
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I wondered if the display of the India pavilion would exemplify the theme it sought to communicate – openness, opportunity, growth. Regrettably, it was not to be so.
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At first glance, the rectangular frame in which the façade was shaped, reminded one of the govt offices that dot Delhi. However, it turned out that the pavilion façade comprised 600 individual blocks of recycled industrial aluminium that could rotate.
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Inside, however, the four-floor pavilion, located at the Al Forsan Park, adjacent to the Opportunity district, made use of the latest technology only to toe the conventional line.
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It displayed an officious narrative on sub-themes such as space; urban and rural development; climate and biodiversity; health and wellness; travel and connectivity; and food, agriculture, livelihoods and water, among others.
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The narrative, in typical sarkari style, seemed more concerned about the pet themes of the ruling dispensation, in particular the image of "world's most favour'te (sic) leader and India's prime minister Narendra Modi," as a poster in the pavilion stated.
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What could have been an interesting engagement with the ancient past was marred by the dull commentary running on digital kiosks.
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Sample one statement: "Arya Bhatt declared that the earth was a globe and not flat." The commentary, which conflated astronomy and the Vedas, played on a loop. Unfortunately, at places the text appearing on the screen suffered from grammatical errors.
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In one corner of the space devoted to contemporary India's space odyssey, a spacesuit was on display, strapped on to a mannequin with limp arms.
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Nearby, a lunar landscape in the shape of a hollowed-out moon had been created, dotted with models of satellites.
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Suddenly, one was confronted with an image of prime minister Modi consoling former chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organisation, K. Sivan, after a failed moon mission in 2020.
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After the space section it was time for yoga with Modi's 3D avatar in a lush green setting.
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Those not content with seeing his visage could also listen to the prime minister's elaboration on how yoga helped fight coronavirus and much more. Although his monologue was accessible in 30 languages, there was only one headphone there at that time.
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Against the wall, a montage of songs sung by popular artists, including Bollywood's playback singers like Shankar Mahadevan, played in a loop, quite disconnected from the space and yoga mission.
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As I took the escalator to the first floor, I was enveloped by a wall-to wall LED panel display of a montage in a loop, showcasing India's vibrant and diverse landscape, culture, arts, and wildlife.
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But there was a major drawback – there was no narrative to match the string of stunning visuals.
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The second floor was dedicated to the Indian prime minister. Visitors entering the space were treated to the "transformation of modern India after its independence" to Modi's India that is "transforming the country every day."
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A screen displayed statistics put forth by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
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It was perhaps the only section that had a clear narrative, with Modi as leitmotif; his image adorned every other panel – as the epitome of "strong leadership"; getting a Covid jab with a smile, counselling students to be exam warriors, to name just a few.
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Moreover, there was the much-publicised Make in India symbol – a lion fashioned out of cogs – which was facing a huge wall covered with images of Modi's foreign visits and his tete-a-tetes with heads of states and the cream of global corporate bosses.
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Elsewhere, visitors had an opportunity to be clicked with the prime minister. All one had to do was "Hold your pose and say Namaste India…!" I wonder if any other pavilion of a democratic country has projected its elected leader so profusely.
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For visitors on their way down there were some more sights such as a huge visual of Varanasi, which happens to be Modi's parliamentary constituency, a model of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya and the BAPS Hindu Mandir being built in Abu Dhabi.
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All these feed into the ruling regime's triumphalist narrative of the country being transformed in more ways than one.
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The Indian pavilion, to one's disappointment, lacked heart and imagination.
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Instead, on display, with all the cutting-edge technology at hand, was a bureaucratic mindset, characterised by a lack of depth and reflection, inadequate attention to detail and what came across as a strong desire to please the political masters.
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There can be nothing more tragic for a proud Indian.
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Read R. Nagesh's full report here:
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