“Gondwana” is a virtual reality art experience that debuted at Sundance in January 2022, and is going live again at SXSW on March 12, 2022. Inside the 3D VR experience, which runs for 24 hours, players can explore the Daintree Rainforest in Australia alone or with others (there is also a 2D experience online at https://gondwanavr.com/, where you can watch the trailer and learn more about the Daintree). Each experience is different, as it depends on what others are doing and how the climate data that is fed into the exhibit affects the rainforest.
Created by Emma Roberts and Ben Joseph Andrews, who lived in the Daintree off-grid for five months learning everything they could about the rainforest, “Gondwana” is a beautiful, peaceful, and exhilarating experience. The producer/director duo recently spoke to The Nerd Element from their home in Melbourne, Australia, about the creation of the VR environment, what the Daintree means to its Traditional Owners and the world at large, and what it was like having their creation accepted at both Sundance and SXSW. There’s also nerdy talk about the tech behind the experience.
