Shifting Homes, an emotive Virtual Reality (VR) work highlighting the imminent threat of climate change to the Pacific island nation of Samoa, has been selected for the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale.

Australian artists Daniel Stricker (DP Immersive) and Vincent Heimann, who created the VR experience in the village of Poutasi, Samoa, will represent Australia and the Pacific at the 2021 Venice Biennale. The work is one of ten Australian participants selected for the 2021 Venice Biennale confirmed to represent Australia and the Pacific, curated by Tristan Wong and Jefa Greenaway.

Shifting Homes will be launched simultaneously in New York (NewLab with OVR Technology), Apia SAMOA (presented by the Australian High Commissioner to Samoa) and Melbourne, Australia through the Australian Institute of Architects who will unveil Australia’s exhibit for Venice with INBETWEEN on 20 May 2021, aligning with the launch of the Venice Biennale’s Vernissage.

Samoa is a low-lying South Pacific country that’s particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels. Shifting Homes is described as an immersive virtual journey to one possible future faced by the island nation, and evokes empathy towards imminent climate change in the region by presenting a VR world of archaeological features and vanishing cultural histories, told through a past, present and future narrative.

The mayor of Poutasi in Falealili district on the southern coast of Upolu delivers a personal story of his village, including the difficult decision to vacate their long-held ancestral home. His emotional story is the backbone for the journey of Shifting Homes.

Additionally, proceeds from the sale of a Shifting Homes NFT artwork powered by PoS Blockchain and completely carbon offset by 'Offsetra', will be donated with a 50/50 split to the village of Poutasi and future DP Immersive social impact projects.

As part of the Shifting Homes project, DP Immersive in partnership with ICDP, Ministry of Communications and Technology Samoa, National University Samoa announce a world first ‘Immersive Remote Learning’ program in the Pacific (Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Fiji) teaching students VR, AR, NFT creation, photogrammetry, LiDar scanning and commercialisation for a new ‘Global Village’ platform working with social impact experiences in new media.

View the trailer for Shifting Homes.

Shifting Homes Credits: Directed by Daniel Stricker and Vincent Heimann. Created with the village of Poutasi Samoa; High Chief Joe Annandale, Mayor Seuseu, and the National University of Samoa. Presented by ICDP, OVR Technology, SkyEye Samoa, DP Immersive. 3D artist Erel Herzog, Developer Dmitry Vereshchagin, VFX and development Vladimir Storm. Produced by Daniel Stricker.

Image credit: Artist's impression of the VR experience for Shifting Homes by artists Daniel Stricker and Vincent Heimann for the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale. Image courtesy of the artists and DP Immersive.

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

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