Visions of Nature is a mixed reality experience at the Natural History Museum that allows visitors to explore the projected state of the natural world in the year 2125, focusing on the effects of human actions on the planet. The experience was developed in collaboration with Microsoft and SAOLA Studio.
Participants will use Microsoft mixed reality headsets to engage with the exhibit. Visions of Nature is set to open on Thursday, October 24, and tickets can be purchased online.
This exhibit addresses the current challenges facing the natural world and explores how nature’s resilience has enabled various species to adapt to 21st-century threats, with assistance from humanity. Through visual displays, the exhibit highlights diverse ecosystems, from the Scottish Highlands to the Great Green Wall in Africa’s Sahel region. It aims to inspire visitors to advocate for environmental preservation and conservation.
The experience utilises Microsoft’s mixed reality headsets, developed in collaboration with SAOLA Studio, a creative firm specialising in augmented reality for cultural institutions. The narratives presented are informed by the latest scientific research conducted by Museum scientists.
Dr Alex Burch, Director of Public Programmes at the Natural History Museum, says: “Visions of Nature is an incredibly exciting, immersive experience – and the first offering of its kind for the Museum. Whilst visually beautiful, it also delivers a powerful message that the actions we take now can have a positive impact on the future.
“It presses fast-forward so visitors can see how nature has responded, for better and for worse, to the aftermath of centuries of human industrial activity as well as to the interventions we have introduced to remedy our unsustainable activity.
“We hope that visitors to Visions of Nature leave with a greater confidence to discuss the type of future they’d like to build and are driven to be part of the response to the planetary emergency.”
Jeremy Frey, Co-founder and Director at SAOLA Studio, comments, “We are particularly proud to be working with the Natural History Museum on this new experience.
“Today, thanks to Microsoft HoloLens 2, we can propel visitors into the future, in all its mysterious, marvellous and disquieting aspects. Our creative team has brought life to realistic creatures that are just as precious and fascinating today as we are certain they will be tomorrow.
“This is not just a time travel; it is an immersive experience in which the visitor is challenged to become a part of a better world where balanced human-animal cohabitation is possible. We have a long way to go. Though we are not yet prepared to meet the challenge, we hope Visions of Nature helps us to take the right turn starting today.”
Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Microsoft, adds: “For centuries, imagining the future has brought hope and inspiration. From space exploration to technologies like the personal computer, imagination has helped to make the seemingly impossible possible. At a time when climate change and other global challenges can bring fears about the future, imagining what’s possible can give us the courage to keep going and to take the actions needed to create a more sustainable world.”
The new experience is part of the Museum’s advocacy program, Fixing Our Broken Planet, which aims to encourage visitors to reflect on their impact on the environment and feel inspired and empowered to protect our fragile planet.
