Chapter four - article two
An Ongoing
Commitment
to Women
In summer 2025, visitors discovered the intimate and deeply human setting of the Women's Pavilion in collaboration with Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
Japanese architect Yuko Nagayama and contemporary artist Es Devlin
The journey began at the entrance to the Women’s Pavilion with its façade, designed by renowned Japanese architect Yuko Nagayama and inspired by the Kumiko technique. Unveiled in the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, this entrance is a link between the two global exhibitions and reflects the Women’s Pavilion’s mission to create a lasting legacy. This gateway invited visitors to set foot into a living, evolving narrative of personal stories, global challenges and collective aspirations. Conceived by renowned contemporary artist and artistic director of the Women’s Pavilion, Es Devlin, the exhibition offered a glimpse of life through the eyes of three exceptional women from three different continents. At the entrance to the Women’s Pavilion, the first of the experiences on offer, Your Name, invited visitors to provide the Pavilion with their name. This simple act symbolized the spirit of connection and common purpose at the heart of the Women’s Pavilion experience. The tour began with Three Women, a short film created by Es Devlin and director Naomi Kawase that amplifies the voices of three remarkable women committed to changing the world. At the end of the screening, the film gave way to Three Pathways, which featured three oval openings corresponding to the three protagonists.
Equipped with headphones, visitors were guided by the voices of the three women into an open-air room dedicated to contemplation, the name of which—Ma—means “pause” or “interval”.
Equipped with headphones, visitors were guided by the voices of the three women into an open-air room dedicated to contemplation, the name of which—Ma—means “pause” or “interval.” Once this moment of calm and introspection had passed, the story took on a more factual dimension with Puzzle Box, a series of meticulously designed spaces inspired by Japanese tradition. Like a jigsaw puzzle with movable “pieces” to be arranged, these spaces featured animations relating to equality between men and women and how far we still have to go. Data collected by UN Women (the UN entity dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment) and detailed in the Focus on Gender Equality 2024* provided an overview of the progress made and the challenges ahead.
The journey culminated with Your Hand, where, combining personal stories with powerful speeches, women demonstrated how they were committed to making women’s voices heard and improving their living conditions all over the world on a daily basis. The second floor of the Women’s Pavilion featured an immersive artistic exploration guided by Mélanie Laurent, whose work touches on themes of nature, emotion, and the quest for equity.
*UN Women and UN DESA. 2024. Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2024. New York: UN Women and UN DESA.
Whispers on Leaves, a joint creation by the French director and Hiro Chiba, combined digital photography and chlorography—a unique technique used by the Japanese artist which introduces chlorophyll into the image. These delicate yet powerful artworks fused feminine forms with natural elements within a soundscape composed by Mélanie Laurent, enveloping visitors in an immersive experience.
These encounters in the Women’s Pavilion acted as a powerful reminder of the interdependence that exists between all human beings, and of the transformative potential of everyday actions. With the success of the first Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Cartier has proudly reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to women.
“Every step we take and every word we utter has the power to change things, not only in our own lives, but in the lives of everyone we touch. No matter where you come from, your appearance, your beliefs or your actions, your voice matters.”
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