This forest is changing... Do you see it?
Step into the virtual forest and experience a one-of-a-kind, durational event: GONDWANA.
Immerse yourself in the world's oldest tropical rainforest, an explorable, free-roaming representation of the Daintree Rainforest in Far North Queensland, Australia.
Like the rainforest itself, Gondwana is a system of possibilities. Weather, seasons, and biodiversity shift and change as you navigate a vast map of ancient trees, rugged mountains and idyllic beaches.
But a broader narrative stirs below: over the course of each showing, the rainforest degrades, artistically rendering climate data projections up to the year 2090. The only salve to this seemingly inevitable decline is people - the more time an audience spends in Gondwana, the more resilient the forest becomes.
Each showing is unrepeatable and speculative: a quiet meditation on time, change and loss in an irreplaceable ecosystem.
Experience the International Premiere of Gondwana: A Multiplatform, VR, Interactive Projection, Sound, and Lighting Masterpiece with Streaming Format. This is the first time in the UK and outside of Australia that we can experience the full immersive wonders of the Daintree rainforest.
Artist's Statement
In researching this project, we spent 5 months living off-grid in the Daintree, experiencing first-hand the immeasurable complexity, interconnectedness and sentience of this vast and ancient ecosystem. To be entangled within the dynamic flux of the Daintree’s living, breathing nature is to put the human perspective into proportionate scale. Here, we understood how small we really are: organisms floating inside the lungs of something infinitely larger. Time collapses in on itself, its cycles moving a few rings wider than normal.
Credits
Director – Ben Joseph Andrews
Producer – Emma Roberts
Lead Developer – Lachlan Sleight
Lead Artist – Michelle Brown
Generative Sound Design – The Convoy (Matt Faisandier & Erin K Taylor)
Impact Producer – Holly Gurling
Wet Tropics Field Recordings – Andrew Skeoch
Kuku Yalanji Consultants – Uncle Mick “Spooks” Kulka / Uncle Ray Pierce / Binna Swindley
Publicist – Adam J. Segal, The 2050 Group
Legals – Jenny Lalor
XR Distributor – Danielle Giroux at Astrea
Opening times:
Tue – Sat 11am – 6.30pm (last entry 6pm)
Sun + Mon 11am – 4.30pm (last entry 4pm)
No showings 24 – 27 July
No need to book.
Running time: Recommended time 15 – 20 minutes
Capacity: Presented simultaneously via virtual reality and projection. There will be two VR headsets available, along with additional seating for others to experience the projection.
Age guidance: Use of the VR headsets is restricted to 13+. All ages are welcome to enter the space to experience the projection. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
What is a Virtual Reality experience?
Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated world. Guests wear a headset with integrated over the ear headphones.
Do I need to book?
This is a free walk-in experience, no need to book.
Do I need to bring anything?
Spectacles may be worn under the VR headset however it may be more comfortable to wear contact lenses or go without your glasses for the experience.
What are the health and safety measures?
Most people do not experience any negative reactions to Virtual Reality. However, VR may be disorientating for individuals who are neurodiverse, have hearing or sight impairments, or experience vertigo, epilepsy, dizziness, seizures, motion sickness or fainting.
If you are pregnant or have a pacemaker, please consult with your GP before taking part.
Trained facilitators will be on hand to provide support and guidance throughout the experience should you require it.
We thoroughly clean and sanitise all equipment, including headsets and headphones, with hospital-grade antibacterial wipes and a UV machine before each use. We request that you use the hand sanitiser provided on arrival.
Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. VR is not recommended for Under 13s.
Babies in slings are not permitted inside the experience.
Any guests arriving for the experience who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted to take part.
