Historical for the Czech Republic was Expo 1958, success was also celebrated in Shanghai and Milan

Dubai/Prague – The first exhibition that can be considered a predecessor of the international Expo exhibitions took place in May 1851 in London. Even then, Czech glass from Count Harrach's workshop was showcased here. In 1900, the Czech lands had their own exhibition within the Austro-Hungarian pavilion in Paris, as well as four years later in St. Louis in the USA. The Czech or Czechoslovak participation in the Expo exhibitions subsequently recorded a number of successes, particularly noted in history was the exhibition in Brussels in 1958.

A selection of Czech and Czechoslovak participations at exhibitions:

1937 — Paris (France)
At the exhibition in Paris, the highlight was the pavilion designed by architect Jaromír Krejcar. The glass and steel building, which was praised by the famous functionalist Le Corbusier, ranks among the peaks of Czechoslovak interwar architecture.

1958 — Brussels (Belgium)
In Brussels, the Czechoslovak exhibition received the highest award in the overall evaluation - the Golden Star, along with dozens of other accolades. The sober pavilion building in the shape of an inverted L consisted of three cubes without windows and was clad in yellow panels adorned with a mosaic of amber glass. Behind the pavilion was a semicircular restaurant named Prague, which was later transported to Prague and placed in Letenské sady. The cinema also celebrated successes in Brussels – viewers were captivated by Polyekran (a simultaneous screening of films on several screens of different shapes), Laterna magika, and Karel Zeman's film The Invention of Destruction.

1967 — Montreal (Canada)
Among the main attractions were the famous Kinoautomat, the Třebechovice Christmas nativity scene, the altar of Master Pavel from Levoča, and the paintings of Master Theodorik from Karlštejn. Again, Laterna magika received accolades.

1970 — Osaka (Japan)
The Czech presentation was somewhat modest, but still appreciated. However, after the onset of normalization in Czechoslovakia, it was not allowed to be written about. The exhibition was based on sculpture, with some sculptures being allegorical. For instance, the statue The Threat of War by Vladimír Janoušek was positioned such that the Soviet pavilion was visible through it. Stanislav Libenský created a glass river with the footprints of shod military boots in it.

1992 — Seville (Spain)
The last exhibition of the joint state of Czechs and Slovaks primarily showcased an exhibition representing the history and present of Czech glassmaking. The pavilion design sparked discussion, resembling a simple prism whose outer walls were covered with a framework of oak beams, on which a wire mesh was attached.

1993 — Daejeon (South Korea)
The first presentation of an independent Czech Republic. There was little time for preparation, and financial resources were also limited. The exhibition, which aimed to present Czech cultural and industrial traditions, was in a cramped space and did not capture visitors' interest, even with a traditional glass exhibition.

2000 — Hannover (Germany)
The preparation faced organizational problems - repeated selection processes for the pavilion's creators and exhibition, and the government changed the general commissioner several times. The pavilion, featuring a replica of the Karlštejn Chapel of the Holy Cross, was finally completed a month before the exhibition opened.

2010 — Shanghai (China)
The pavilion with a simple design – a white shell adorned with 63,000 hockey pucks featuring a logo – became one of the 24 pavilions on the official exhibition poster. The International Exhibitions Bureau awarded the construction a silver medal for creativity. Among the main attractions of the exhibition were reliefs from the statue of Saint John of Nepomuk, brought as a symbol of luck from Charles Bridge. The kaleidoscope featuring Czech wonders and the LacrimAu installation, which could mix a personal perfume based on emotions seen through a giant golden drop, were also popular.

2015 — Milan (Italy)
The Czech pavilion was a modular construction made of recyclable modules, which received a bronze medal for architecture. The pavilion earned several accolades from visitors and Italian media, such as the most laid-back pavilion, the most child-friendly pavilion, and the pavilion with the prettiest rooftop garden. The restaurant of the Czech pavilion "La Baita del Cacciatore" also ranked among the top three. The key theme of the Czech pavilion was water and its purification through nanotechnology.