Discuss the exhibition in relation to the spaces and subjects of Essay

Discuss the exhibition in relation to the spaces and subjects of modernity - Essay Example st visitors, the stars of the show were the machines which were powering the world’s first industrial revolution: cotton looms, telegraphy systems, printing presses and, best of all, steam engines† (Barbrook, n.d.). The overriding theme in the New York Fair of 1939 was the "Building the World of Tomorrow with the Tools of Today." Many new technologies were presented and popularized at the New York fair, including developments in â€Å"radio, television, color photography, labor saving electrical devices, home building materials, and most importantly, transportation† (Nee, 2004). Exhibits on the newly emerging mode of air travel were popular, and the rail and ship industry had sleek buildings and exhibits. However, the exhibit that stole the show was the "Futurama" exhibit, sponsored by General Motors (Nee, 2004). Both of these cities, already steeped in a diverse culture, looked to future developments as the cornerstone of the world-class fairs. As in most large expositions, both contained various ethnic offerings of food, entertainment and religious exhibits. Social influences were bound by these fairs in two ways. Diverse cultures integrated which expanded an individual’s thoughts and knowledge outside of their own small world. â€Å"The fairs also introduced many inventions creating methods of making the world smaller electronically. Inside the Crystal Palace, new technology became the icon of modernity†¦ Machinery was materialised ideology† (Barbrook, n.d.). Despite differences regarding the ideological meaning of new technologies, defining the symbolism of machinery meant owning the imaginary future. These fairs merged cultural ideals and dreams and made distances between them seem less so. Subsequent to the London Exhibition, other countries swiftly organised their own industrial festivals in order to showcase their own idea path to the future. Within only two years, New York had held its first Worlds Fair and, a couple years later, Paris