Expo 2015: Feeding the planet, stimulating the economy – Visits to the pavilions, in-depth looks at the exposition and tourist suggestion at its margins. The foreign press continues to report on Expo 2015 with numerous articles. Some papers published introductions to the great event Les Echos, May 4 – L’Exposition universelle 2015 à Milan; Washington Post, May 5 – At Milan Expo 2015, it’s still an analog world, after all), while others studied the architectural styles of the pavilions (Le Monde, May 4 – Les multinationales battent pavillon à l’Expo universelle de Milan*). Most articles centered around the theme of the Expo, food (New York Times, April 30 – Food, Italy and Milan: Expo 2015 Seeks to Feed the Planet*; Expansion, May 4 – La Expo de Milán reflexiona sobre la alimentación y la agricultura), with detailed stories on related themes, such as the food of the future (Wall Street Journal, May 4 – Embrace the Food Tech That Makes Us Healthier*).
But as the Financial Times reminded its readers, Expo is also a huge wager for economic recovery in italy (May 1 – Italy pins hopes for economic revival on Milan Expo*), partly by reinforcing the ties with countries that receive Italian agrifood exports. This, for example, is the case of Kuwait, whose English language paper Kuwait Times reported on the warm reception from Italian institutions that Kuwait received at the inauguration (May 1 – Milan Expo pavilion shows challenges facing Kuwait; May 4 – Italian Agriculture Minister attaches special importance to Kuwait at Expo Milano 2015).
Tips for visiting Milan – The attention of the foreign press went beyond the gates of the Exposition. Some American papers offered tips to visiting the city and relaxing outside the event (May 5 New York Times – Tips for Visiting Milan Expo, From Dining to Weather*; Washington Post – Taking a break from Expo among Milan’s cultural draws), while The Times gaves suggestions on the best places to live for those wanting to move there (May 3 – Let’s move to … Milan). Le Monde on the other hand, concentrated on cultural offerings in the city with a visit to the new Museum of Culture (May 4 – Une ancienne usine reconvertie en temple de l’ethnographie*) and the exhibition “Art and Artists at the Front”, dedicating to artistic expression during the First World War May 4 – L’Italie rentre, à son tour, en guerre)
Fashion and art: Prada, Armani, Maramotti – Cultural events during the six months of Expo are intrinsically interwoven with the world of fashion. First, there is the new headquarters of the Prada Foundation in Milan, the exceptional, newly inaugurated space dedicated to art (Les Echos, May 3 – La fondation Prada à Milan : gros moyens, grosses ambitions. un nouveau lieu exceptionnel; Le Monde, May 2 – Miuccia Prada, d’une collection à l’autre*; New York Times, May 6 – Prada Mixes Fashion, Art and Wes Anderson Bar in Milan*; Les Echos, May 7 – Prada épate Milan). The all-powerful Armani has also just inaugurated an exhibition hall (El Pais, May 2 – Armani todopoderoso) and has decided to celebrated his 40 years of activity with a museum – Armani Silos – to showcase its historic fashions (Reuters, May 1 – Armani fetes 40 years in fashion with VIP gala, new museum).
The spotlight was also turned on another combination of fashion and culture: the Maramotti Collection in Reggio Emilia, which was reviewed by the Wall Street Journal (April 30 – Max Mara’s Legacy of Art Patronage*). There was also an article about Max Mara in the Spanish paper ABC, which interviewed CEO Luigi Maramotti (May 2 – Luigi Maramotti «No, absolutamente no. La moda no es un arte, es un oficio»).
Tourism in Italy – Expo 2015 is also an opportunity to discover other cities besides Milan. The Wall Street Journal actually reported on a second Renaissance through northern Italy, revitalized with a vast range of cultural events (April 30 – Northern Italy’s Second Renaissance*). These obviously include the Venice Biennale, with El Pais writing about the Spanish pavilion (May 6 – Un Dalí no tan escandaloso).
The Times suggested that its readers spend a weekend in Turin (May 2 A weekend in . . .Turin, Italy*), while the New York Times visited the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence to see Hero, the sculpture tribute to David by the Italo-New Yorker Pio Saracino (May 4 – ‘Hero,’ a New Work in Florence, Pays Tribute to Michelangelo’s ‘David’).
There were also stories about Matera, which will be the European City of Culture in 2019, with suggestions about taking a trip back through (May 1 on New York Times – Trip Tips: Italy’s Matera Is a 9,000-Year Trip Back in Time; Reuters – Italy’s Matera is a trip back in time).
Lifestyle and the agrifood sector – The foreign press also pursued its usual interest in Italian lifestyle. Food of course, with help from Expo, was at the top of the list. The Financial Times explained Campari’s optimism in view of Expo, and its interest in new acquisitions of Italian brands (April 30 – Campari whets appetites for Italian brands*). And while the New York Times gave its readers some of the best recipes for Italian antipasto (May 1 – Antipasto Is the Overture to Breezy Italian-Style Entertaining*), Le Monde supplied its readers with some of the best addresses for Italian cuisine in Paris (April 30 – Toutes les nuances de l’Italie à Paris*).
The New York Times also reminded its readers that there is now good coffee on the International Space Station, thanks to a new espresso maker (called ISSpresso) designed together with Lavazza to work in the absence of gravity (May 4 – Espresso? Now the International Space Station Is Fully Equipped*). Valor Economico also published an article about the agrifood sector, announcing the opening of a new sales point of Eataly in Brazil (May 1 – Eataly abre loja no Brasil em maio).
There was also some reporting on quality Italian manufacturing. Bloomberg Businessweek reported on 3D printing and its role in the future of Italian artisan production (May 5 – How 3-D Printing Is Saving the Italian Artisan), while L’Express discussed the revival and the ambitions of Maserati (May 2 – Maserati lâche les chevaux).
Personalities – Finally, several Italian personalities made the news. Die Welt ran a profile of Giovanni Ferrero, defined as an esthete at the head of a chocolate multinational (May 4 – Der neue Mr. Nutella ist ein joggender Schöngeist), while the New York Times reported on the appointment of Giovanni Caforio as CEO of Bristol-Myers Squibb (May 4 – New CEO Takes Over Evolving Drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb*). The Times wrote about the new project of composer Ludovico Einaudi (May 2 – Ludovico Einaudi: The Taranta Project*) and music was also the subject of a Time article on how Google decided to remember Bartolomeo Cristofori, inventor of the piano (May 3 – New Google Doodle Honors Bartolomeo Cristofori, Inventor of the Piano). There was also interest in Alessandra Ferri, the Italian ballerina now starring in Covent Garden in London (The Times, May 5 – Alessandra Ferri: Covent Garden’s new leading lady, aged 5*).
* marked articles viewable online upon payment or registration