Shanghai Daily news

Shanghai Expo organizers yesterday launched a worldwide search for teams to find and arrange sculptures for the World Expo site.

Organizers have planned to set up 200 sculptures in four areas of the 5.28-square-kilometer site ?? at the eight main entrances, an art gallery in Expo Axis, the square of old Jiangnan Shipyard and the park along the Huangpu River in Pudong.

"We hope the teams can submit innovative plans which coincide with the Shanghai Expo theme ?? Better City, Better Life," said Huang Jianzhi, deputy director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

The organizers also hoped to see one or two "landmark sculptures" in the plans that could become highlights of the Expo site, Huang said.

The city would keep some as permanent sculptures within the site after the Expo.

Others would be moved into the downtown area, said Wu Jiang, deputy director of Shanghai Urban Planning Administration Bureau.

The deadline for proposal submissions is May 31.

Organizers also said yesterday they would stage five free concerts of world music, or ethnic music, from April 30 to May 5 to introduce Shanghai audiences to different cultures ahead of Expo 2010.

Ten leading teams representing different categories of world music - including Spain's Flamenco, Burundi's drums and singers of Miao ethnic groups in China - would perform in the Shanghai Concert Hall for the "Week of World Music."

The project was just a start in introducing world music to audiences, said Hu Jingjun, deputy director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

The Expo site would become a stage for all kinds of music, for cultural heritages around the world as well as China, Hu said.
The organizers said they hoped Shanghai Expo could promote and help save lesser-known ethnic music.

World music would be mixed with modern jazz, rock and roll and electronic music at the concerts to present the diversity of world music development, Hu said.

Tickets are available through the Shanghai Concert Hall Website or by calling 6386 2836.