Arcadia Earth

CREATIVE DIRECTION // STORY // MUSICAL SCORE // DISCOVERY + STRATEGY CONSULTING

META is a partner in Arcadia, and was responsible for helping to shape the structure of the experience, as well as creating two of the premiere immersive realities within the exhibition.

PROBLEM: How to create a beautiful, sophisticated, and engaging story that focuses on what humans have done to our delicate planet, and the solutions available, within the confines of a “Museum Of” style experience.

SOLUTION: Arcadia Earth is a next generation art exhibition designed to reignite the conversation around the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Arcadia is the first platform of its kind to offer a powerful, intimately personal exploration of the plight of our planet through human scale art installations and the futuristic lens of augmented and virtual reality.

The Creation of Oxygen

70% of all Oxygen on Earth is created by microscopic organisms known as Phytoplankton. Oxygen was first produced by phytoplankton around 2.8 billion years ago. Over time, the output of oxygen from phytoplankton increased steadily. This oxygen condensed into a vast, delicate planetary UV force-field: the Ozone Layer. The Ozone layer is what enables life to rise and thrive on planet Earth.

The CO2 Cycle

In the first room, we saw the creation of CO2 via “nature’s internet” of mycelium, or fungi, networks below the ground. The second terrarium shows intake of this CO2 by trees, and their output of Oxygen. This delicate balance of CO2 and O2 allows Nature to flourish.

In this room, we see the human CO2++ cycle: the more CO2 we add, the greater harm to life on Earth. Stand back to allow Nature to colorfully flourish; walk towards the Nature to see the effects of creating more CO2 than the delicate balance can handle.