The ephemeral city : Paris and the phenomenon of the Universal Expositions

Abstract

1989! To the French men, it already evokes thoughts of the Universal Exposition that will take place in Paris that year. This great festival will be the first one since World War II, more than half a century ago. At last, Paris seems to resume with an old tradition which was in a fair way to disappear. In the light of such a sudden revival, this paper proposes to examine the phenomenon of the Universal Expositions. Indeed, the occurrence and the inherent debates it induces during its planning stages raise many issues of various types. Some will be discussed within the framework of three different selected THEMES, aiming at covering what I think are the main aspects of the phenomenon over time. These THEMES will deal respectively with the role and the hidden goals of an Exposition (1), with its festive dimension as well as its physical and social impacts on the city (2), and finally with the sense of time given by an Exposition (3). Reflections about the Universal Exposition of 1989 (4) will conclude the paper. Paris will be the context research for its has witnessed more than any other city the recurrence of such ephemeral events and their evolution over time.