Pulsations

The World Expo was held from April to October 2025, in Osaka, Japan, welcoming over 28 million visitors under the theme Empowering Lives. For its pavilion, France chose not to showcase innovations or technologies, but to focus on a universal value: love. The pavilion’s mission was to celebrate the connections between Japan and France through their expertise and heritage, and to inspire as many visitors as possible through a sensitive and poetic journey.

In drawing inspiration from the Japanese legend of Akai Ito, the red thread of fate, we developed the concept for the experience around the theme proposed by France: “A hymn to love.” Legend has it that an invisible thread tied to our little finger connects us to another being and sets our fate. The legend enabled our team to develop experience principles along several distinct lines: the red thread, the hand and the beating heart.

Our team reimagined the definition of the hymn, a unifying song, by creating a new hymn to love in the form of a contemporary electronic remix. The design of the exhibition is embodied in the idea of the pulse – not only the biological rhythm of the heart, but a musical rhythm that synchronizes all of the experience’s different spaces.Each soundscape, lasting 3 minutes and 30 seconds, follows a single tempo, creating a continuous pulse that guides visitors from the beginning to the end of the journey. This constant rhythm flows through the different spaces, unifying them despite their diversity. The pulse becomes luminous, appearing in projections and patterns—it is what brings the space to life.Based on an original composition by electronic music artist RONE at the heart of the Pavilion, we created a series of audio pieces and then commissioned IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique) for their production.

The visitor experience culminates in a grand immersive tableau conceived by our team. Combining heritage pieces, original 3D-printed sculptures, and 10-meter-high light curtains, this hybrid installation delivers a powerful final immersion centered on the theme of love.

GSM served as the lead consultant for the France Pavilion, overseeing the creative direction of the permanent exhibition. In close collaboration with visual artist Justine Emard, GSM developed the overall narrative and immersive visitor experience. The concept was developed in close collaboration with COFREX and the Pavilion’s brand partners—Louis Vuitton, Dior, AXA, Ninapharm, and Alsace Wines.