Day 47: Man and His World/One World One Dream

polaroid of the U.S. Pavilion in Montreal at Expo 67 (Bucky's dome)
The photo was taken by my father, Durl Kruse

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games start in 2 days. The theme is "One World One Dream".

"One World One Dream" fully reflects the essence and the universal values of the Olympic spirit -- Unity, Friendship, Progress, Harmony, Participation and Dream. It expresses the common wishes of people all over the world, inspired by the Olympic ideals, to strive for a bright future of Mankind. In spite of the differences in colors, languages and races, we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games, and together we seek for the ideal of Mankind for peace. We belong to the same world and we share the same aspirations and dreams."

read more on the official Olympic Site

I also just learned about 67 Expo (held in Montreal) where Buckminister Fuller built his famed dome for the U.S pavilion in 1967. The theme of the Expo was, Man and His World. It was was based on the 1939 book entitled Terre des Hommes (translated as Wind, Sand, and Stars) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

In Terre des Hommes, his haunting book, so filled with dreams and hopes for the future, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry writes of how deeply moved he was when, flying for the first time by night alone over Argentina, he happened to notice a few flickering lights scattered below him across an almost empty plain. They "twinkled here and there, alone like stars." ...In truth, being made aware of our own solitude can give us insight into the solitude of others. It can even cause us to gravitate towards one another as if to lessen our distress. Without this inevitable solitude, would there be any fusion at all, any tenderness between human beings. Moved as he was by a heightened awareness of the solitude of all creation and by the human need for solidarity, Saint-Exupéry found a phrase to express his anguish and his hope that was as simple as it was rich in meaning; and because that phrase was chosen many years later to be the governing idea of Expo 67, a group of people from all walks of life was invited by the Corporation to reflect upon it and to see how it could be given tangible form. -Gabrielle Roy

My dad also has several polaroids from other pavilions including: Habitat 67, New York, and Thailand. (click to enlarge)