Anger and Wonder on Display at Expo 2015

Alan Taylor
May 5, 2015
32 Photos
In Focus

Expo 2015 officially opened in Milan, Italy, on May 1. As visitors had their first views of pavilions and displays from countries and corporations around the world, thousands of "NoExpo" protesters took to the streets. They voiced anger about a wide range of issues, from the impact of globalization, corporate influence, and austerity measures to expo-related corruption charges, reports of wasted money, and accusations of hypocrisy around an expensive global exposition with the theme "Feeding the Planet." A smaller group of violent demonstrators broke off from the larger demonstration, clashing with police and torching cars and businesses. Gathered here are the two stories - the brief but violent outburst and the exhibits on display inside the newly opened Expo 2015.

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Left: Activists wearing gas masks take part in a protest against Expo 2015 fair in Milan, Italy, on May 1, 2015. People marched against the opening of Milan's Expo 2015, torching parked cars, smashing bank and store windows and clashing with riot police in Milan. Right: The "Tree of life" at Expo 2015 in Milan on May 1, 2015. Italy opened the Milan Expo on Friday, torn between hopes that the showcase of global culture and technology will cheer up a gloomy national mood and fears that it will be overshadowed by scandal, delays and street protests. #

Left: Daniel Dal Zennaro / ANSA via AP - Right: Alessandro Garofalo / Reuters

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Demonstrators march during a protest against Expo 2015 in Milan on May 1, 2015. #

Riccardo De Luca / AP

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Masked activists march during a protest against Expo 2015 in Milan on May 1, 2015. #

Massimo Percossi / ANSA via AP

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Protesters flip over a car during a rally against Expo 2015 in Milan on May 1, 2015. #

Flavio Lo Scalzo / Reuters

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Protesters throw objects during a rally against Expo 2015 in Milan on May 1, 2015. #

Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters

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Police face demonstrators during a protest against Expo 2015 in Milan on May 1, 2015. #

Riccardo De Luca / AP

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Cars are set on fire by protesters during a rally against Expo 2015 on May 1, 2015. #

Stefano Rellandini / Reuters

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Smoke billows from bank windows after clashes broke out between demonstrators and police during a protest against Expo 2015 in Milan on May 1, 2015. #

Luca Bruno / AP

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Police officers fire tear gas during a protest against Expo 2015 in Milan on May 1, 2015. #

Matteo Bazzi / ANSA via AP

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Policemen help a colleague set on fire after being hit by a firebomb during a rally against Expo 2015 in Milan on May 1, 2015. #

Stefano Rellandini / Reuters

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Italian riot policemen run in front of a burning car during a rally against Expo 2015 in Milan on May 1, 2015. #

Flavio Lo Scalzo / Reuters

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A protester on a wheelchair moves through belongings left by protesters during a rally against Expo 2015 on May 1, 2015. #

Stefano Rellandini / Reuters

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Demonstrators march in Milan on May 3, 2015 during a rally to protest the violence that left much of downtown trashed on May Day. Hundreds of the marchers removed graffiti and helped repair other damage wreaked by protesters who rampaged through downtown two days earlier while VIPs were inaugurating Expo 2015. #

Michela Nana / ANSA via AP

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Volunteers paint a wall covered by writing in Milan on May 3, 2015 during a march to protest violence that left much of downtown trashed on May Day. #

Mourad Balti Touati / ANSA via AP

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Italian aerobatic team Frecce Tricolori (Tricolour arrows) performs during the opening ceremony of Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy, on May 1, 2015. #

Alessandro Garofalo / Reuters

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The "Tree of life" is at Expo 2015 on May 1, 2015. The Tree of Life lies at the center of the Italian Pavilion, acting as a reference point on the fairgrounds. The structure of the interactive installation is based in part on a 16th century design created by Michelangelo for Rome’s Piazza del Campidoglio, an oval-shaped design containing a twelve-pointed star, symbolizing the constellations. #

Alessandro Garofalo / Reuters

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A woman walks past the United Arab Emirates pavilion at Expo 2015 in Rho, near Milan, Italy, on May 4, 2015. #

Antonio Calanni / AP

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The Great Britain pavilion at Expo 2015 on May 1, 2015. The theme of the pavilion is "Grown in Britain: Shared Globally", its design based on the hives so important to the ecosystem of the UK. #

Alessandro Garofalo / Reuters

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A view of the China pavilion at Expo 2015 on May 2, 2015. China's theme is "Land of Hope, Food for Life", its concept based on the pursuit of balance between mankind and the environment. #

Antonio Calanni / AP

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A visitor experiences the "Aromatic distillery", conveying the scent of several herbs inside the French pavilion at Expo 2015 on May 2, 2015. #

Domenico Stinellis / AP

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A view inside China's pavilion at Expo 2015 on May 4, 2015. #

Antonio Calanni / AP

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A 3D projection appears on a wall inside pavilion "Zero" at Expo 2015 on May 1, 2015. #

Alessandro Garofalo / Reuters

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A view of Japan's pavilion at Expo 2015 on May 2, 2015. Japan's theme is "Harmonious Diversity", promoting its "food culture as an example of a healthy, sustainable and balanced diet." #

Antonio Calanni / AP

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A visitor walks inside the Republic of Korea pavilion at Expo 2015. South Korea's theme is “You Are What You Eat”. The external design based on the Korean "Moon Jar”, a traditional pottery vessel in the shape of the full moon. #

Antonio Calanni / AP

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Workers stand outside the Vanke pavilion at the Expo 2015 work site near Milan on April 3, 2015. #

Giorgio Perottino / Reuters

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People walk in the Brazilian pavillion at Expo 2015 on May 1, 2015. Brazil's theme is "Feeding the World with Solutions", highlighting its technological capacity in agriculture. #

Alessandro Garofalo / Reuters

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A visitor is seen from below as he stands in the geometrical center of the honeycomb structure of the United Kingdom pavilion at the 2015 Expo in Milan on May 2, 2015. The giant aluminium beehive is a cuboid lattice that forms the centerpiece of the design. Audio-visual devices embedded within the hive allow it to pulse, buzz and glow according to desired effects; including live signals from a real beehive where accelerometers measure the vibrational activity of the bees and these signals are fed into an array of LED lights embedded within the sphere, generating a dynamic representation of the insects’ activity. #

Domenico Stinellis / AP

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A worker at the Thailand pavilion at the Expo 2015 work site on April 3, 2015. #

Giorgio Perottino / Reuters

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Walls of white dishes are used as a screen for a 360 degree projection inside the Spanish pavilion at the 2015 Expo in Milan on May 2, 2015. #

Domenico Stinellis / AP

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A view of part of the Slovakian pavilion at Expo 2015 on May 2, 2015. #

Antonio Calanni / AP

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A view of Coca Cola pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan on May 2, 2015. #

Antonio Calanni / AP

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A woman stands in the Great Britain pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy, on May 1, 2015. #

Alessandro Garofalo / Reuters

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