By Claire Latham
This summer, Arcadia Earth Toronto invited us to check out their brand new 17,000-square-foot multi-sensory experience, a 10-room art exhibit presented in partnership with World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada).
Through interactive technology, virtual reality, and beautifully crafted art installations, the exhibit showcases and educates audiences about planet Earth and the impacts of human activity on our environment.
Following successful runs from around the world—in New York, Las Vegas, and Saudi Arabia—Arcadia Earth has selected Toronto for its first permanent home. Arcadia Earth Toronto opened its doors to the public this past December, right in the heart of downtown, at The Well.
The intersection of science, art and tech
Arcadia Earth Toronto is one of the most beautiful and gentle wake-up calls for ecological stewardship you will ever experience. It is a soft tap on your face, opening your eyes to the reality of our environmental future.
I was inspired by the carefully curated and unique immersive exhibit, which emerged from a desire for change and a commitment to a more environmentally responsible future. Guided by the goal to inspire and empower individuals, the transformative journey merges art, technology, and scientific consciousness.
For many, environmental education and activism is a redundant message, an annoyance, and the impetus for mushy paper straws in our drinks—a shrug-off. For others, the future of our environment is a reality that must be screamed, something that can no longer come in the form of a nudge or polite reminder. In the middle ground between this disparity lies Arcadia Earth: both a vessel for passionate environmental education and a delicate and enchanting exhibit that welcomes you as the change-maker, not the villain.
The app activated journey
After getting prepped at the front desk, we used the Arcadia Earth App on our phones to scan codes and symbols in the room. It was our second pair of eyes for the entirety of the exhibit.
The experience began with a room focused on our oceans and their respective coral reefs. The walls were covered in blue swirling hues of ocean waters, and the space was engulfed by sounds of “oohs” and the occasional “look at that!” The reflecting aqua colour projected on the LED screens lit up our faces, turning us blue. I thought it was quite poetic.
Seals, dolphins, turtles, and coral reefs would appear on our screens and move with us as we navigated the space. Accompanying them were facts and tidbits about coral life and whatnot, though the majestic spaces behind our phones was so captivating that it felt silly to look down at these small screens we carry around with us all day.
As we flowed through the rest of the rooms, the term “solastalgia” came to mind: the emotional distress due to environmental change, causing a sense of homesickness whilst directly connected to one’s home environment. When I stepped on the touch-activated floors and caused a ripple animation of swirling blues and pinks, I couldn’t help but feel very disconnected to everything around me.
This wasn’t a new feeling but a gradually building feeling I’ve had for far too long now. To look at waves crashing on the coast, mud slipping beneath my shoes, crinkled-up leaves floating down from the trees, and grieve the environment before it’s even lost.
That is all you can ask of art: to take its hands deep into your soul and bring these feelings to the surface, and that is exactly what Arcadia Earth did. Arcadia Earth Toronto is ecological art; it’s emotional, captivating, stimulating, and makes you think.
Finally, the exhibit also allows you to calculate your carbon footprint, if you’re up for it. A carbon tracker tool is available to help you think about how many fossil fuels you may be responsible for, and how you might do things differently depending on the options available. Don’t be scared to find out if you’re an environmental steward or climate laggard. I was pleasantly surprised. Turns out that thanks to my vegetarianism, walking or cycling to most places, and penchant for thrift store shopping, my carbon footprint is minimal. But the exhibit left me fired up to do better and make more of a difference.
Arcadia Earth calls itself “an immersive journey through planet Earth,” which rings true. It opens our eyes to a more profound realization: our lives have always been an immersive journey through planet Earth. Some, more than others, recognize this, and others need the reminder now and then.
Through virtual reality, Arcadia Earth Toronto reminds us of our reality—a reality that desperately needs our emotional connection and intervention.
For every ticket sold, Arcadia Earth gives $2 back to WWF-Canada, which helps this leading conservation organization work to conserve species at risk, protect threatened habitats and address climate change.
For further information, visit Arcadia Earth.
Claire Latham, an honour roll student and multimedia storyteller in the making, is entering her fourth year of the Media and Communications program at Western University.
Featured image credit: Arcadia Earth Toronto
