Visit the works of the Galician Pavilion at the Zaragoza Expo 2008. Wednesday, May 28th, 2008.
Information Dossier
GALIZA AT ZARAGOZA EXPO
The Innovation and Industry Reginal Ministry, through the Management Society of Xacobean Plan, develops the promotion of Galiza at the Zaragoza Expo 2008, where the design and building of the Galician Pavilion gives a schedule of performances and activities. The Regional Ministry is also responsible of the management of the Galician cuisine restaurant, which will be administered by the Higher School of the Hotel Mangement in Galiza, dependent on the Innovation and Industry.
THE GALICIAN PAVILION
A giant screen of 13 metres long by seven meters high is the central element of the Galician pavilion, whose construction is being finished in the Zaragoza Expo ground. This structure will consist of 3,000 water samples that have been collected since February and this month of May, by a team of specialists who went over the 315 municipalities in Galicia. The samples were introduced into some transparent vacuum packed containers, which make up the original mesh that is being set up these days. This peculiar wall of water will make an interactive screen where images of the country will be projected. Each of the 3,000 containers will be visible only when the visitor approaches them, and they will have precise information of where the water was collected from.
In this great event, through this visual and emotional scenery, Galiza will try to convey in a new, original and interactive way that it’s the country’s water the element that runs through all its corners what defines and enriches it.
In front of this screen there will be a 350 square meters pavilion, which is designed as an area for relaxation. A chill-type atmosphere where people can relax and feel the sensations that the place transmits. On the left side of the room a row of screens will be placed, through which visitors will be able to watch, among other things, how the water was collected; that´s to say, an audiovisual that will show some of the most emblematic places of Galiza from which the water was taken in for the big screen. This formula will allow people to go in a different way over the best tourist resources of the country related to water. Among them: the cliffs of Roncudo, Santo Andre of Teixido, Fragas of Eume, Fountain of Prato, Pedregal de Irimia, Dehesa of the Rogoira, San Miguel of Montefurado, Fountain of Fonsagrada, The Burgas, Sacred Shore, Pena Trevinca, Spring of Riocaldo, Waterfall of Toxa, Estuary of Minho, Mondariz Spa Resort and Lanzada Beach.
Through these screens, visitors may also access all the information related to the collecting of water: all the places from where the water was collected will be displayed on a map of Galiza.
At the entrance to the pavilion, the exhibition will show five big information panels placed on light boxes, where the following topics will be developed:
- The Way of St. James (Xacobean 2010)
- Natural Areas (National Park, Natural Parks, Humedais, Nature Nets, Biosphere Reserves)
- Hydrotherapy
- Beaches
- Denominations of Origin
- Water-related historic centres
- Sea Industries
Finally, the external facade of the pavilion will be as a theatrical arcade, countless lights will change color as an allegory of the Milky Way, Green Galiza or of the water itself.
The design and the building of the Galician pavilion at the Expo means an investment of 1.5 billion euros.
ACTIVITIES
The programme of activities that the Innovation and Industry Regional Ministry will develop during the forthcoming International Zaragoza Exhibition aims to promote Galiza, within the offer that´s presented at the Zaragoza Expo, as a competitive, innovative and attractive economy for investment, as well as a tourist destination closely linked to water.
The presence of Galiza at the Expo will be particularly intense along the month of July, in which most of the activities will take place. A Week of Galiza will be developed at the Expo, from July 12 to 18; although the sociocultural shows will continue in the following days up to July 27. This means that the artistic activities which promote the Galician country will be held during a fortnight in Zaragoza.
The activities developed with a budget of 350,000 euros are varied and include: concerts of folk, pop and classical music in the main entertainment areas of the ground; an exhibition at the heart of the city of Zaragoza; events for children; the operation of an “aquófono” (a musical instrument that produced sounds from the percussion of the water droplets that are transformed into musical notes) inside the pavilion and the celebration of the Galician Day of Honour on July 18.
Musical shows
During the morning of Saturday July 12, first day of the Week of Galiza, the folk group Son de Seu will present his record in a show at the Balcony of Cultures; while at night the performance will take place at the Palace of Congresses of the Zaragoza Expo ground, which has a capacity for 1,500 people.
Other concerts will take place at the Aragon Square, which is also located within the Expo ground. More than 2,000 people will be able to attend these concerts. Luar Na Lubre and Nova Galega de Danza will perform on Monday 14; and the following day pop and alternative music groups The Ellas, Deluxe and Lamatumbá. Then, on Friday 18 will act Malvela and Uxia with their traditional music.
The Galician Day of Honour (July 18th) will be completed with the performance of the classical group Resonet in the Palace of the Congresses.
Exhibitions
At the heart of the city of Zaragoza (De los Sitios Square) the exhibition “Galiza, Santiago e o Mar” will be opened during the entire month of July. Photographs in grain format and light cubes, especially attractive at night, will be shown there, together with medieval music related to the pilgrimages. The exhibition focuses on Galiza and its relationship with the sea, as a crossroad between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean through different historical stages. The present of the Galician ports will be introduced, especially the sports due to their international tourist interest.
Aquófono
An “Aquófono” will operate inside the pavilion during the Week of Galiza. It´s a musical instrument unique in the world invented by two Galician members of the group of experimental music Parto. The Aquófono produces sounds from the percussion of the water droplets that are transformed into musical notes. Thus, the soundtrack of the pavilion will occur in real time by this instrument, which may be played by the visitors. Therefore, anyone will have the opportunity to improvise and make audible a unique piece of music.
Health tourism
The weekend of July 19 and 20 will be devoted to the Health Tourism and Hydrotherapy in the pavilion of Galiza, with presentations for tourists of many offers in this area, and a team of specialists who will give therapeutic masagges in its own facilities.
Other activities
During the week of July 21 to 27 there will still be activities, such as the multimedia spectacle “Contos do Camiño”. In the Pavilion of Galiza the editor OQUE will develop projections of animated stories for kids in morning and afternoon sessions. She will also explain the different routes of the pilgrimage in the form of a story with live music. The aim of these activities, together with plastic ones for children, is to give people the possibility to know Galiza and the ways of St. James in an funny way.
To celebrate the Day of Galiza, on July 25, Treixadura Group will perform at the Zaragoza Expo so the presence of the Galician country will be noted on this special date.
GALICIAN CUISINE AT ZARAGOZA EXPO
Galiza will promote its cuisine at the Zaragoza Expo in a restaurant managed by the Innovation and Industry Regional Ministry, through the Higher School of the Hotel Mangement in Galiza. The Innovation and Industry Regional Minister, Fernando Blanco, signed a collaboration agreement last month with four gastronomic associations in Galiza so that they would perform the tasks of restoration during July. Each of the associations, the Gastronomic Association “Amigos da Cociña Galega”, the Gastronomic Club “Rías Altas”, the Galician Restaurants Association “Lareira” and the Gastronomic Association “Xantares”, will design the menu which will be tasted for a week at the Galician restaurant and they will bring 9 people to develop these restoration tasks.
There will be served pressed pork and cheese appetizers typical of the country, seafood, pies, steamed mussels and in pickling brine, hot peppers, octopus “to the fair”; and for dessert, Santiago cakes, Santiago stones and Glazed Chestnuts.
SCIENTIFIC FORUM “WATER TRIBUNE”
Galiza will be represented at the forum “Water Tribune”, the great scientific meeting of the Expo, by 14 Galician scientists who will deal with many other projects related to water and the sustainable development. These projects were selected from a total of 30 submitted by Galiza, which is the autonomous region that takes most of the experts to the Expo, the 35% of the state, a figure equal to that of countries such as Russia, Colombia or Argelia. 350 scientists from all over the world will take part of it. The Galicians belong to the three universities, to NGOs such as Engineers Without Borders, to ecologic associations as Adega, etc. The Forum “Water Tribune” will finish after three months of discussions with the Zaragoza Charter, a document that will set the good habits of the states and territories, and of their inhabitants in relation to water consumption and to the sustainable development.
List of Galician scientists participating:
- Augusto Pérez Alberti (July 21-23): Subglaciers sub-Antartic Region
- Benedicto Soto González (June 30 to July 3): Fluvial Environment Alteration because of climate changes
- José A. Cid Fernández (September 1 to 3): Energy uses of water resources
- Josefina Garrido González (June 30 to July 3): Diversity of aquatic invertebrates in stagnant water
- Virginia Rodríguez (August 4 to 6): Project “Rivers”-Adega
- Cástor Guisande Glez (June 16 to 20): Factors that structure the community of fish in the Amazon
- Enrique Peña (June 30 to July 3): Cooperation in the Development – hidrosanitary projects.
- Jerónimo Puertas (June 30 to July 3): Devices to clear obstacles in rivers for fish fauna
- Joaquín Suárez López (July 15 to 18): Management contamination. Drainage, weather, rain and other topics
- Jordi Delgado (June 16 to 20): Closure and restoration of miner hollows – Master of Water Engineering University of Coruna (UDC)
- Xan Neira (June 16 to 20): Sustainable Use of Water in agroecosystems
- Raquel Fernández Beceiro (August 4 to 6): Recovery of the Valley Esmelle- Ferrol
- Serafín González (July 7 to 9): Recovery of the Lake Antela-A Limia
- Emilio Louro (August 4 to 6): Marine Reserve of Lira
