The Cidade da Cultura dresses up with the arrival of a new immersive exhibition that fuses art and technology to raise awareness about biodiversity and the importance of preserving our environment. ‘Habitats. Extended nature’. is Carlos Seijo ‘s proposal to take visitors on a journey through the five continents without leaving the Gaiás Center Museum.

This unique experience, designed with accessibility and sustainability in mind, uses virtual reality to immerse participants in the diversity of life on Earth. They will be able to visit deserts, oceans and caves and see the species of each area, from elephants and turtles to whales and salamanders.

The spectators, equipped with glasses using augmented reality technology, will explore the second floor of the Gaiás Center Museum, where the virtual environment is superimposed on the physical one, which contains environmental and scenographic elements to aid immersion. Up to ten people can immerse themselves in this unique tour, interacting with animals and plants through virtual hands that mimic real finger movements.

A journey towards understanding

Carlos Seijo, director of the exhibition, remarked in the presentation of the project that the recreations seek more the empathy of the attendees than hyperrealism. Nature is presented translucently and illuminated from the inside, highlighting its beauty and vulnerability to awaken environmental awareness.

With ‘Habitats’, the Cidade da Cultura expands its offer of digital and technological content, joining previous initiatives such as ‘Flesh and Sand’, by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Not only that, but the show highlights Galician talent in areas such as visual arts, modeling and 3D animation.

The installation consists of nine scenarios representative of diverse global ecosystems, from the Amazon rainforest to the Australian Great Barrier Reef. Visitors will have 40 minutes to explore them, guided by a voice-over, available in Galician, Spanish and English, which reveals details about the species that inhabit each corner.

‘Habitats. ‘Extended Nature’ is accessible to anyone over 9 years of age and will be open until May 19, 2024, Tuesday through Sunday. Each day hosts eight sessions, four from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm and the rest from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Tickets are available for 3 euros through Ataquilla and at the Centro Gaiás Museum. So, if you want to see first-hand the result of the convergence between art and technology in Galicia, don’t hesitate to visit this incredible exhibition.