Frederik @ Shanghai EXPO 2010 announcement

Crown Prince Frederik took part in the first meeting last Wednesday (10 September) of the national committee organising Denmark's participation in EXPO 2010 to be held in China. The winner of the working concept for the Danish Pavilion was announced at the Danish Architecture Centre in Copenhagen. The pavilion, called "Welfairytales" - a blend of the words "welfare" and "fairy tales" - will also feature a salt water pool filled with water from Copenhagen Harbour, the home of the Little Mermaid. The mermaid is expected to make its Chinese debut as the focal point of the pool. Twenty years ago Copenhagen Harbour was very polluted but it has since been rectified. The Little Mermaid will be screened live back in Denmark while she is in China as a constant link while she is away. In a poll on TV2's website, 70% of votes have so far opposed moving the Little Mermaid copper statue to China for the six month period of the Expo. It would certainly be a powerful symbolic gesture from Denmark to feature such an iconic feature of Copenhagen and Danish literary culture at the World Expo.



Photos © TV2/Scanpix, Expo 2010

EXPO 2010 'Danes want Little Mermaid to grace fairytale pavilion'
The Denmark Pavilion at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo will showcase a fairy tale world with the Little Mermaid, the country's symbol, set to make her first visit to Shanghai in 2010. But Danes won't miss their mermaid too much - her stay in Shanghai will be filmed and screened back in Denmark. The Little Mermaid statue is one of Denmark's major tourist attractions and sits on a rock in Copenhagen harbor. The winning team behind the design of the pavilion hopes to bring it to Shanghai. Carsten Boyer Thogersen, Denmark's Shanghai consul general, yesterday said he is confident that the statue will make the journey to Shanghai. "We are applying for approval from the Danish government, and it is almost certain that the copper statue will sit on a piece of marble to welcome visitors to the pavilion during the Shanghai Expo," Thogersen said. The idea of the statue came to Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg, after he became fascinated by a ballet about the fairy tale. Sculptor Edward Eriksen then created the statue, which was unveiled in 1913. The Denmark Pavilion consists of an outdoor and an indoor area which are united in one circle. The pavilion aims to give visitors the chance to savor the best aspects of Danish urban life. The pavilion, called "Welfairytales" - a blend of the words "welfare" and "fairy tales" - will also feature a salt water pool filled with water from the Danish harbor. The mermaid is expected to make its Chinese debut at the pool. Thogersen said the harbor suffered industrial pollution 20 years ago, but had been purified and now local people even swim at the sea, which is a "good showcase of Denmark's style of sustainability." Meanwhile, Chinese artists have been invited to submit outstanding sculptures for public display during the six-month Expo event. One masterpiece will be chosen each month.

TV2 article 'Den Lille Havfrue skal til Kina' 10-09-08 - The Little Mermaid to move to China'
It will be the architecture firm Bjarke Ingel's Group which is to design Denmark's pavilion at the world exhibition in Shanghai and one of the main attractions will be The Little Mermaid, which will stay in Shanghai for six months. This was revealed after Crown Prince Frederik today revealed who has won the contest for designing Denmark's pavilion at the exhibition. Copenhagen's Chief Mayor and head of the Ministry Ritt Bjerregaard is positive about the move...The winner of the project has devised a great double spiral which leads the visitor up and down through two turns of twenty meters in height. The building features bicycle paths and town bicycles for free use for the audience. In the central part of the pavilion there will be a pool with water from Copenhagen's Harbour...where the Littel Mermaid will be placed.
Environmentally conscious Danes
One of the purposes of the pavilion is that Danes are environmentally conscious... The Danish pavilion will be an exceptional window into showing viable Danish solutions to climate change and the energy sector. Our participation is a natural element in the government's strategy which drive Denmark and Danish assets abroad," says the chairman of the jury for EXPO2010, permanent under-secretary of the responsible ministry, Michael Dithmer.

Danish Architecture Centre
Shanghai World Expo 2010

Søren Steffen's photo gallery

TV2 news clip (00:29)
SeogHoer webTV

Meanwhile, on the same day, Crown Princess Mary chaired a meeting of the Mary Foundation at Christian VIII's Palace at Amalienborg.