The 14,000-sq ft structure, having separate parts themed on creativity, partnership and innovation, underscores how India and France are working together in the domains of art, cinema, literature, dance, fashion and technology, French Consul Damien Syed said yesterday.
In one part of the pavilion, digital displays highlight the important achievements of Indian and French film industries, providing glimpses from the days of the Lumiere brothers to contemporary collaborations.
The pavilion also features singular art work installations using diverse interactive expressions in visual art, digital art and sound art by two artistes working under the name 'Scenocosme'.
"The exchange of ideas between India and France spanned centuries - from Lumiere to Lunchbox, from Madame Gres to Manish Arora... between Voltaire and Vedas, Tagore and Alain Danielou, Uday Shankar and Simkie. The stream of inspiration between the cultures flows deep and strong," read an inscription on the pavilion.
With France being the focal theme country, most of the book fair gates are replicas of French architecture in India like that in Chandernagore and Puducherry, he added.