Installation WOW for Ljubljana in front of the EU pavillion at EXPO Milano 2015
8 Jul 2015
The unique interactive installation WOW for Ljubljana, created by Ljubljana Tourism in collaboration with Vodovod-kanalizacija public company and City Museum of Ljubljana, was placed in front of the European Union pavillion at EXPO Milano 2015 on Friday 3 July.
© D. Wedam
The installation was created for the purposes of presentation of Ljubljana and Central Slovenia region at the Slovenian Pavillion at EXPO Milano 2015 between 15 and 30 June. The presentation featuring a series of culinary and cultural events was focused on two central themes: green and sustainable vision of Ljubljana, the European Green Capital 2016, and its local culinary delights.
The WOW installation combines the region's brand message with themes of oxygen, cyclicality, the quality of region's drinking water, sustainability and an expression of enthusiasm: "Wow". The letters W are derived from the logo of the Central Slovenia region while O represents oxygen as a symbol of its clean air as well as excellent drinking water. The letter O is therefore filled with water, which draws attention to Ljubljana's public drinking fountains and, overall, to its sustainability strategy which made it the recipient of the prestigious European Green Capital 2016 title. That way the installation brings forth the message of Ljubljana being a "WOW" destination.
It measures 7 meters in length. The letters are 2 meters wide and 1.30 meters high. It is made of aluminum and is unique in its interactive concept. It is an artistic creation designed to interact with visitors, who can take their photos next to it and even climb it. Climbing is done at one's own risk, but is not dangerous since the letters are broad enough and solidly screwed to the base. The installation is equipped with a discreet and attractive LED lighting. Water is placed within the glazed letter O and with the help of a pump it waves lightly. If one gets really close, they can hear its soothing murmur.
The WOW installation was placed in front of the Slovenian pavilion at Expo Milano between 18 June and 3 July when it was moved to stand in front of the European Union pavilion where it will remain for a few weeks. The European Commission and the management of European Union pavilion at EXPO 2015 recognized it as an attractive feature that's also bringing an important message to the visitors of the pavillion. Ljubljana became the only European capital as well as the only (future) European Green Capital that will be represented in that way at EXPO 2015.
Upon finishing its stay in front of the European Union pavilion, WOW installation will be moved to the city centre of Ljubljana, where it will henceforth "communicate" with Ljubljana's citizens and visitors, representing the city's sustainable values.
The concept of the WOW installation was developed by the tourism marketing agency Nea Culpa. Its project design was done by Darijan Mihajlović Cerar. It was manufactured by Janez Draksler architectural engineering bureau.