The UK’s pavilion at the Dubai World Expo 2020 will use artificial intelligence to write poems, in a giant illuminated “message to space” .
The Pavilion has been created by British set designer Es Devlin. The 20-metre, cone-shaped pavilion will feature LED poems scrolling across the facade in English, Arabic, Chinese and French.
In an interview with Dezeen, Devlin said: “Poetry brings order to language, and machine-learning is a way to weave our voices together without prejudice while following the rhythms of centuries of poetic thought in a range of diverse cultures.
“The public debate around national identity is currently tending perilously towards the divisive and prosaic. I hope that the many millions who attend Expo 2020 and visit the UK Pavilion will feel a sense of the possibilities of the collective poetic.”
The Pavilion will feature the Maze of Aspiration, which will transform the queue into an augmented reality-enhanced exhibition exploring Britain’s advances in artificial intelligence and space technology.
The Choral Space will feature a collective choral soundtrack made from choirs from every continent.
Devlin said: “What if the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 becomes a place where visitors from all over the world take part in a collective global project that showcases British expertise in A.I. technologies and poetry while transcending national identities?
“The UK has an unparalleled record in Expo design – from instigating the very first Expo in 1851 to the recent breathtaking pavilions of Thomas Heatherwick, Wolfgang Buttress, Asif Kahn and Brian Eno – it’s a true honour to be invited to take part.”
Details of the USA Pavilion have also been revealed. It will feature a simulated Hyperloop experience, giving visitors the experience of travelling in a futuristic mode of transport.
Es Devlin to design interactive Poem Pavilion for Dubai Expo 2020
