The Work

The Expo '70 was a world's fair held in Osaka, Japan between 15 March and 13 September 1970. Its theme was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind". It was the first world's fair held in Japan and in Asia.

Inside the Portugal Pavilion, entirely clad in black, a plastic composition of cubic volumes of varying dimensions was developed, serving as the backdrop for photographs depicting "Portugal of Today and Tomorrow."

The perimeter was defined by a sequence of enlarged photographs printed on translucent fabric strips—reminiscent of kakemonos, the traditional Japanese scroll paintings—illuminated from behind. The resources employed were relatively traditional, and the results closely resembled theatrical and exhibition staging. In stark contrast, Expo 70 in Osaka was marked by technological sophistication and an abundance of multimedia effects in most other pavilions.

In such situations, Daciano da Costa liked to quote Orson Welles: “In this age of supermarkets, you can always count on your grocer.”