Historic was the Expo 1958 for the Czech Republic, success was also celebrated in Shanghai

Milan/Prague - The first exhibition that can be considered a predecessor of the international Expo exhibitions took place in May 1851 in London. Even back then, Czech glass from the workshop of Count Harrach was showcased here. In 1900, Bohemia had its own exhibition as part of the Austro-Hungarian Pavilion in Paris, as well as four years later in Saint Louis, USA. The Czech or Czechoslovak participation in Expo subsequently recorded numerous successes at exhibitions, with the exhibition in Brussels in 1958 marking a significant place in history.

Selection of Czech and Czechoslovak participation in exhibitions:

At the exhibition in Paris, the pavilion designed by architect Jaromír Krejcar was one of the highlights. The glass and steel structure, praised by the famous functionalist Le Corbusier, became one of the peaks of Czechoslovak interwar architecture.

In Brussels, the Czechoslovak exhibition won the highest award in the overall evaluation - the Golden Star, along with dozens of other accolades. The sober building of the pavilion, shaped like an inverted 'L', consisted of three windowless cubes clad in yellow panels adorned with a mosaic of amber glass. Behind the pavilion was the semi-circular restaurant Prague, which was later transported to Prague and placed in Letenské sady. The cinema industry also celebrated successes in Brussels - audiences were captivated by Polyekran (simultaneous film projection on several screens of various shapes), Laterna Magika, and Karel Zeman's film The Invention of Destruction.

Among the main attractions were the famous Kinoautomat, the Třebešov Bethlehem, the altar of Master Pavel from Levoča, and paintings by Master Theodorik from Karlštejn. Once again, Laterna Magika was celebrated for its success.

The Czech presentation, although somewhat modest, was still appreciated. However, after the onset of normalization in Czechoslovakia, it was not allowed to be written about. The exhibition was based on sculpture, with some sculptures containing hidden meanings. For example, the sculpture Threat of War by Vladimír Janoušek was positioned so that the Soviet pavilion was visible beyond it. Stanislav Libenský created a glass river, containing the footprints of shod military boots.

The last exhibition representing the shared state of Czechs and Slovaks primarily showcased an exhibition highlighting the history and present of Czech glassmaking. The pavilion design sparked discussions, taking the form of a simple prism with its outer walls covered by a grid of oak beams, onto which a wire mesh was affixed.

The first presentation of the independent Czech Republic. There was little time for preparation and financial resources were also limited. The exhibition, which aimed to present the cultural and industrial tradition of the Czech Republic, was confined to a cramped space and did not attract visitors, even with a traditional glass display.

The preparation was plagued by organizational problems - repeated selections for the creators of the pavilion and exhibition took place, and the government changed the chief commissioner several times. The pavilion, featuring a copy of the chapel of the Holy Cross from Karlštejn, was finally completed a month before the exhibition opened.
The pavilion with a simple design - a white shell decorated with 63,000 hockey pucks featuring the logo, became one of the 24 pavilions on the official exhibition poster. The International Exhibitions Bureau awarded the building a silver medal for creativity. Among the main attractions of the exhibition were reliefs from under the statue of John of Nepomuk, brought as a symbol of good luck from the Charles Bridge. Visitors were also charmed by the kaleidoscope featuring Czech wonders and the installation LacrimAu, which could mix a personal perfume based on emotions when looking at a giant golden drop.