Visions of Nature at the Natural History Museum

The latest addition to the Natural History Museum’s Fixing Our Broken Planet advocacy program, Visions of Nature imagines how human intervention could steer a world on the precipice of environmental catastrophe towards resilience. Developed in collaboration with Microsoft and SAOLA Studio, the mixed reality experience transports visitors to the year 2125 with a combination of immersive technology and scientific storytelling.

At the heart of the experience is a hopeful optimism that belies our current environmental trajectory. Equipped with Microsoft’s state-of-the-art Hololens 2 mixed reality headsets, visitors are guided by an AI co-pilot named Hope through a series of vividly rendered landscapes – ranging from the rolling Scottish Highlands to the sprawling Great Green Wall of Africa’s Sahel region. Along the way, visitors are introduced to species that have adapted to the tumultuous environments of the past century, animated as interactive holograms that blend seamlessly with the museum’s Darwin Centre.

Much like the theme park in the Jurassic Park franchise, Visions of Nature intertwines advanced technology with ecological themes, delving into the consequences of human intervention in the natural world. In an especially captivating moment, visitors are invited to extend their hand to greet a holographic Darwin’s frog, as Hope narrates the remarkable story of this once critically endangered amphibian, now thriving in the innovative urban parks of Concepción, Chile. The holographic frog, leaping gently into the visitor’s palm, creates an unusually close connection with a species that largely remains hidden from human view. Similarly, the three-dimensional projection of Narlugas – narwhal-beluga hybrids – swimming playfully through the icy Arctic waters presents a hopeful vision of resilience and adaptation in the face of mounting environmental challenges. These scenes offer not just a glimpse into a possible future, but an intimate reminder of nature’s ability to recover and evolve. 

Beneath the captivating light-based displays lies an urgent message: the future envisioned is not guaranteed, but possible – hinging on the choices we make today. Although the animals manifest as ethereal holograms, Visions of Nature transforms abstract ideas about the future into a tangible prospect, offering much-needed hope in an era marked by climate anxiety and doomism.

Christina Yang
Image: Courtesy of the Natural History Museum

Visions of Nature is at the Natural History Museum from 24^th October 2024. For further information or to book visit the exhibition’s website here.