3 - 2000

EXPO 2000 - More than a Show?

A continent shows its better side

The Africa Hall at the EXPO

by Michael Ruffert

More than 150 countries have exhibits at the EXPO, showing themselves in their best light, trying to attract tourists and investments. The Africa Hall meets with great interest from the public, since the countries make up for having less money to spend than other exhibitors through the creativity and liveliness of their presentations.

In the middle of the hall stands a pillar. It is decorated with written characters and shows tropical vegetation, hand-prints and an African woman carrying water. "Woman symbolises the source of life, because she brings children into the world," says Cosima Lemke, a young staff member of the Society for Technical Cooperation. Her voice rings with pride as she guides EXPO visitors through the Africa Hall. It gives her a chance to tell of the cultural and topographical diversity of a continent which otherwise often gets only negative headlines.

In Hanover, 40 black African countries are exhibiting together under one roof, for the first time at a World’s Fair. The broad pillar in the centre is intended as a living symbol of the underlying idea, that of an awakening continent. It is hollow inside, and one may enter. Inside the ceiling is black with shimmering spots of white. A young couple lies on a bench, enjoying the stillness of the almost soundproof room, recovering from the stress of the EXPO.

Outside in the hall there is almost always something going on - drummers and dancers performing, music groups playing in ragged rhythms and story-tellers bringing the "Black Continent" to life. Africa offers its mysterious and exotic best, luring visitors especially through their "curiosity to see something completely different", as a visitor from Bremen put it. The concept of the building itself was substantially underwritten by the Society for Technical Cooperation (GTZ - a German government-owned development enterprise -Ed). It wanted to create a space in which the countries could present themselves "in the most authentic and many-faceted way possible", says Björn Seidel, who manages the hall for the GTZ. About a third of the 100 million DM which the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development is spending on presenting its development policies at the EXPO has gone into construction of the Africa Hall and the individual country exhibits.

The country exhibits are arranged according to the countries’ positions on the continent. Each country tries especially to present what is most typical of it: Malawi, known for its great lake, has fish in an aquarium; Namibia beckons with wandering dunes and wild animals. At Mauritania’s stand one can drink tea in a Bedouin tent and learn about the "desert country". There is no doubt that the main aim is to attract tourists. Twingeyo R. Elly, who is manning Uganda’s stand, admits it. "We are here to promote tourism, business and investment in our country," he says. He wants to lure travellers especially with mountain gorillas, which one can visit in the south of the country. There is little to be seen of the problems of this east African state: not a word about the war in the north, rebel attacks in the west, and the army’s military action in neighbouring Congo.

"We want to show our progress, not our poverty," says Elly. Hunger, war and disease are not African problems - they exist everywhere in the world. These arguments are supported by Jörg Schindler of the GTZ. The European countries too are showing almost nothing but their best sides at the EXPO, so one must grant the Africans the same privilege.

But sometimes the gap between the presentation and the reality seems almost too wide. Sudan, for instance, is showing a painting reflecting the many cultures of this huge African state, from its Arab north to its black African south. "Unity in diversity" is the slogan. There is no mention of the bitter war that the Islamic regime in the north has been carrying on for 17 years against the rebels in the Christian and animist south, in which two million human lives have already been sacrificed.

This article was published in the Evangelical Press Service on 4 July 2000.