MYRIAD. Where we connect.
MYRIAD. Where we connect. is a project of Interactive Media Foundation and Filmtank, in co-creation with Miiqo Studios, Context Film and Artificial Rome
MYRIAD. Installation, 2023
Fourteen modules, five seating blocks, two seating benches made of wood, Resysta, Ytong, coated with coloured concrete
Various sizes
Interactive projection mapping on three carbon modules, floor projection, reactive multi-channel audio installation
MYRIAD. Virtual Reality Experience, 2023
Virtual Reality Application
Each story 10 min
Presentation module, one seating block made of wood, coated with coloured concrete
Various sizes
360° 3D Documentation, 2021
Stationary Virtual-Reality Station with two videos
10:09 min
Presentation module, one seating block made of wood, coated with coloured concrete
Various sizes
Courtesy MYRIAD. Where we connect., Interactive Media Foundation and Filmtank, in co-creation with Miiqo Studios, Context Film and Artificial Rome
Every year, a myriad of living beings traverses our planet. Their migrations, orchestrated in regular rhythms, choreograph the life of our planet like that of a pulsating superorganism. The decisions animals make on their journeys, the ways they interact with the ever-changing environment, and the consequences of their migrations on ecosystems are all reshaping our understanding of the interdependency of all living creatures and the shared spaces they inhabit. The natural sciences explore these connections, which also resonate interpretatively in the social sciences and philosophy. Ancient stories and myths in different cultures have long told of the completeness that binds all living beings.
MYRIAD. Where we connect. is an immersive, multimedia installation at the intersection of art, science and storytelling. This walk-through, interactive project celebrates its premiere in the exhibition Bending the Curve – Knowing, Acting, Caring for Biodiversity, alongside the previously successful VR experience and a 360° 3D documentary. The work allows us to adopt the perspective of individual animals, taking us along on their long journeys across the continents of earth.
In the internationally acclaimed Virtual Reality experience MYRIAD. Where we connect., visitors follow the migrations of a green sea turtle, a female Arctic fox, and a group of northern bald ibises. Each journey combines scientific knowledge with moving images and visual information about the animals’ routes through a world increasingly influenced by human activity.
The 360° 3D film, which is also award-winning, shows the flight of the northern bald ibises over the Alps and their successful reintegration into their natural habitat. The spectacular footage was made with the help of an ultralight aircraft.
A central element of MYRIAD. Where we connect. is carbon. Over eons of the cosmos, this fundamental element arose in the hearts of stars through the fusion of helium. It arrived on our planet from space through countless asteroid impacts, becoming the chemical building block of life. The bodies of all living beings, including plants, fungi, animals and humans, contain this element. Carbon has thus become one of the central design elements of the multimedia art installation. The visual worlds of MYRIAD. Where we connect. are based on black and white charcoal drawings, from which digital animations were created. The forms of carbon’s binding structures live on in the sculptural spatial elements and their tactile, haptic surfaces. All 3D animations and elements of the multimedia installation are monochromatic. They insert fragments of knowledge and give visual artistic expression to data that has been interpreted.
The journeys of individual animals during their migrations are narrated on three large-scale carbon objects. In the overall 22-minute animation, visitors follow the flight routes of animal flocks and the stories of individual species. Amur falcons, monarch butterflies, and common cranes are featured. As one of the elements of animal migrations, air marks the beginning of the exhibition at the Frankfurter Kunstverein. Borders, obstacles, land use, as well as changes in the Earth’s system and polar melting, pose significant challenges to living beings during their migrations.
Made of wood, the installation objects are coated with black-pigmented concrete putty. These materials were sonically deconstructed, captured, and used for the soundscape by means of the audio effect “Convolution Reverb”. The sound characteristics and audio processing of the materials shape the atmosphere, generating novel sounds of material quality.
The sculptural elements of the spatial installation are embedded in a 360-degree soundscape. The acoustic spatial experience follows the concept of Soundscape Ecology. It orchestrates biological sounds (biophony), human sounds (anthropophony), and non-biological but sound-producing natural phenomena. The acoustic ecosystem thereby created responds to the presence of visitors in the space, symbolizing the changing influence of humans on their environment.
MYRIAD. Where we connect. was created in close collaboration with an interdisciplinary team. The representations are based on real data from over 20,000 tracked animals migrating in water, on land, and in the air. The data comes from the Movebank database, a long-term project of the Department of Animal Migration at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. MYRIAD. Where we connect. brings together current research content from the fields of animal migration, behavioral biology, climate research and infrastructure development, drawing on the Big Data of the Movebank project, among other sources. Abstracted data and information are transformed into experiences through art, creating a connection between people’s imagination and awareness of the global interconnectivity of our planet’s ecosystems.
MYRIAD. Where we connect. is a project of the Interactive Media Foundation and Filmtank in co-creation with Miiqo Studios, Context Film and Artificial Rome. Artistic Direction: Lena Thiele, Sebastian Baurmann and Dirk Hoffmann. The sound design was developed by kling klang klong, the exhibition architecture was designed by unit-berlin.
Interactive Media Foundation gGmbH
The Interactive Media Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a philanthropic mission dedicated to developing socially relevant stories through audiovisual media formats (film, virtual reality, exhibitions). It produces and finances its projects with the help of private foundations and public funds, and carries out distribution in collaboration with various partners. Its work is based on a collaborative creative process and a broad network of partners. The Interactive Media Foundation brings together specialists from various societal areas and combines expertise, insights and techniques from different disciplines to open new, often surprising perspectives on captivating and touching topics. Its productions are showcased at media art and film festivals worldwide and in numerous cultural institutions. Recognition from experts and juries from various fields is reflected in prestigious awards such as the Federal Prize for Cultural Education, the Grand Prix of the Art Directors Club, or inclusion in the Forbes list for outstanding creativity. The Interactive Media Foundation was founded in Berlin in 2013.
Filmtank GmbH
Filmtank is a multiple award-winning production company based in Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart. Originally from the documentary film sector, its creators now produce entire thematic universes. Filmtank brings together old masters and young inventors to create new perspectives.
Miiqo Studios UG
Miiqo Studios was founded in Berlin in 2012 and focuses on creating immersive worlds at the intersection of art, science and storytelling. They follow a holistic approach, combining contemporary digital technologies and socially relevant stories to create emotional and touching experiences.
Context Film GmbH
Context Film has stood for sophisticated documentaries, innovative fictional storytelling and high-quality informational films since 2004, exploring diverse and complex realities of life. Their work, freely told and independent in form, breaks traditional thought patterns.
Artificial Rome GmbH
Artificial Rome is a studio for digital design and visual communication with a focus on immersive, interactive experiences. The team has been developing interactive communication formats since 2014 through the fusion of digital technology, creative vision and a clear design signature.
kling klang klong GmbH & Co. KG
The Berlin-based creative studio kling klang klong composes sounds and codes for auditory experiences. The team of composers, sound designers, creative thinkers, scientists and technicians explores new ways to touch people through sound. Their works are present in physical and virtual environments, exhibitions, museums and events internationally.
