A virtual immersion in nature: CaixaForum's call to save the planet

Barcelona"We want visitors to leave as agents of change, eager to make small gestures to build a better and more sustainable future." These are the words with which Mireia Domingo, director of CaixaForum, defines the exhibition's intention. We are Nature which opens its doors this Thursday, September 18, and inaugurates the museum's season. It is an immersive experience that combines art, science, and technology to immerse visitors in the beauty and fragility of the natural world. It aims to raise awareness about the great dangers that threaten the planet and inspire us to act to stop them.

The exhibition, produced and distributed by OASIS Immersive Studios in collaboration with National Geographic, is the first time it has arrived in Europe after passing through Canada and Mexico. The origin of the exhibition was the historic signing of the COP15 agreement, which was held in Montreal in 2022. Domingo explains that what they liked most about the proposal is "the positive outlook" and that "it has very powerful images that are an ode to nature and its beauty and at the same time a call to action." We are Nature It will be on view in Barcelona until April 2026, after which it will travel to the CaixaForum in Madrid.

Denys Lavigne, president and co-founder of OASIS Immersive Studios, was in Barcelona for the presentation of the exhibition and highlighted the importance of new technologies and their fusion in reaching viewers. "Here the narrative elements are videos, music, and the sounds of nature that allow us to connect with visitors in a very profound way," he said while walking through the different spaces. The exhibition is presented through a tour of three immersive rooms. The first door, by title A world in constant growth and it has the most contemplative spirit. Visitors can sit in one of the seats and immerse themselves in images of the seabed, the northern lights, or flying insects, created by director of photography Katerine Giguère and visual artist Johnny Ranger. In total, the experience lasts 18 minutes and is intended to be a tribute to the majesty and power of nature.

The second room is named We are interconnected, It has the same duration and, according to Denys Lavigne, "wants to demonstrate how each element of nature has a connection with the others, even humans who often think we are above it and it is not the case." Here the experience is closer to digital art than to documentary, because the images created by visual artist Alex Le Guillou are more abstract and poetic to show the links that unite us in this great chain of life that is nature. The third room is called We face the challenge And this is where the narrative becomes more present and lasts a little longer, 22 minutes. "Here we provide information on specific cases from around the world of people doing things to protect nature and biodiversity," explains Lavigne. Directed by filmmaker Émile Roy, it's a powerful and immersive work that demonstrates how everyone's efforts, no matter how small, can bring about change and counteract some of the great evils facing the planet. The exhibition closes with a final space where you can learn about some of the local initiatives being carried out in the country to save biodiversity.

Lavigne explains that the exhibition has "a great educational spirit" and is "for all audiences." When it toured Canada and Mexico, it was very well received by families with young children and schools, who visited it because it allows children to work on such a topical issue as environmental conservation. The president of OASIS explained that on occasion, he even saw people leaving the exhibition in tears. "There have been overwhelmed visitors because they had connected deeply with the beauty of nature, but at the same time, they had been very aware of its fragility and the dangers that threaten it." However, he makes it very clear that he in no way intends the exhibition's message to be pessimistic. "We don't want to deny reality or the problems the Earth suffers from, but we do want to focus on showing concrete aspects of what people are doing to solve them."