Mimih poles evoke Australia's aboriginal spirits for the Expo...

The Australia pavilion team has just released some new photos of "Bedrock," the exhibit that will greet visitors as they enter the pavilion's first act, called "Journey." Taken in addition to recent news of the cutting-edge Microscopia artwork we'll see in the pavilion's second act, "Discover," a complete picture of the Australia pavilion starts to come into view, and it's looking pretty fantastic.

The exhibit was designed by artists from Maningrida Arts and Culture in the Northern Territory, an institution whose diverse and vibrant productions come in no small part thanks to the community's eight distinct Maningrida language groups.

To pay tribute to the importance of the role both the Maningrida groups and Australia's wider indigenous community play in the country's rich culture, the exhibit uses indigenous mural art, mimih poles (pronounced mee-mee), fibre-woven 'yawk yawks' or female water spirits, and metal-cast fish shaped after traditional woven forms to immerse viewers in a representation of the rugged, dramatic coastal landscape of the artists' Arnhem Land home.

Once done admiring the fruit of Australia's artistic labors, visitors will move on to the "Discover" area where they'll see displays about Australia's cities, oft-voted the world's most livable (don't worry Shanghai, you're getting there!), and have a chance to see films (in a new-fangled, 1,000-person circular theater) about Crocodile Dund-ooh!—almost said it!—Australian innovations in the fields of urban design, sustainable technologies and the likes before moving on to the "Enjoy" area, where they'll taste the best of Australia's delectable foods and wines (Mmmm Wolf Blass Pinot Noir!?).

No word yet on whether there will be surf simulations, human vs. kangaroo boxing or photo-ops with koalas to be had, but even barring those, the Australia pavilion should be a really good time.

Pictures courtesy of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.

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