The Terrarium is a major new Virtual Reality work by Shezad Dawood that has been developed through a number of conversations with scientists and climate specialists. The work imagines a future of a connected Kent and Baltic shoreline 300 years in the future where the surface of planet earth is 90% water.
Your experience begins near the beach of Dungeness. Having gone through a series of genetic splicing programmes, you are now modified into a sophisticated cephalopod hybrid and released from an experimental laboratory facility into the open sea to explore your surroundings. Incorporating site responsive references to both Kent and Estonian coastlines, this immersive experience blends scientific prediction and science fiction highlighting the implication of climate change for our marine ecosystems, and the consequences of rising sea levels on all forms of life.
Moving through the ocean, you encounter organisms that have survived or evolved through genetic mutations accelerated by climate change. You are suddenly and unexpectedly captured by future humans, who have had their genes spliced with animal DNA and are engaged in the extractive pillaging of their former planet. Held captive, you are given one chance to decide your fate. What will you choose?
The VR is part of a wider exhibition, accessible without booking, that consists of a new wall painting, a musical score by composer Graham Fitkin and AnthropoPangaea, an online map accessible by phone or laptop produced by UBIK Productions.
The Terrarium by Shezad Dawood (2020) is curated and commissioned by UP Projects for Creative Folkestone Triennial 2021 and Kai Art Center and is supported by CUPIDO, a project co-funded by the European Union, Arts Council England and Tallinn Culture Department. VR, duration variable, (featuring parts of Anthropocene Island TAB17 by ecoLogicStudio and excerpts from The Terrarium Inventory by Graham Fitkin). Courtesy of UBIK Productions.
Health and Safety
This VR experience is not recommended for people aged under 12 years of age. Parental guidance is recommended for people under 16 years of age as the VR contains some violent scenes. If you are pregnant or suffer from any medical conditions, please consult your physician.
Should you be unable to experience the VR due to pre-existing health conditions or age restrictions, we encourage you to experience AnthropoPangaea instead. AnthropoPangaea is an interactive map, accessible via phone or laptop, that presents a version of the earth that refuses a colonial logic, while merging science with fiction to bring audiences of all ages closer to some of the planet's strangest inhabitants.
AnthropoPangaea is commissioned as part of UP Projects’ digital commissioning programme, This is Public Space.
Location and Opening Hours
Location:
Sassoon Gallery
Folkestone Library
2,Grace Hill
Folkestone
CT20 1HD
Public Hours:
Monday: 11:00am - 4:45pm
Tuesday: 11:00am - 4:45pm
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 11:00am - 4:45pm
Friday: 11:00am - 4:45pm
Saturday: 11:00am - 4:15pm
Sunday: 11:00am - 3:45pm
Please note that booking will only be required for experience the VR. Should you have booked the VR please arrive 10-15 minutes before your allocated slot and make yourself known to an invigilator. We reserve the right to reallocate your slot if you are late.
