Banglore:
Bangalore is all set to host a ten-day Indo-German Urban Mela, a blend of technology, science, culture and entertainment, that would be inaugurated by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Friday.
This urban extravaganza is to be held at the grounds next to Bangalore Palace. It is a part of the celebrations titled "Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities" that commemorates 60 years of the establishment of Indo-German diplomatic ties.
The Mela is a set of modern, multi-purpose pavilions, which are designed by renowned German installation artist and designer Markus Heinsdorff, with the thematic focus on "StadtRaume - CitySpaces".
Issues like mobility, energy, sustainable urban development, architecture, cultural space, education and urban art are prominently featured through a prism of genres such as the performing and visual arts, science, education, technology and business, organisers said.
The pavilions offer information through interactive features, games, models and experiments.
"The Mela offers a glance on how the city of tomorrow could function: innovative approaches and smart solutions for the main topics of urban life like energy and water supply, respect for the environment, construction and urban planning, but also music, dance and entertainment at large", Dr Ingo Karsten, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bangalore, told reporters in Banglore on Tuesday.
Christoph Bertrams, Director of Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, Bangalore, said the Mela would also be offering an array of programmes and activities for everyone - from thinkers to breakdancers, from kids to heavy metal fans, from young researchers and students to budding poets.
Heinsdorff said he has been heavily inspired by the use of Indian fabric and ceremonial tents. "Combining membranes and steel to form these structures has been a highly challenging and highly satisfying experience as an artist".