Wonders of Diversity
Hypsos was assigned as general contractor for the Design & Build of this magnificent museum exhibition: the ‘Forest of Life’ in the University Museum, the former Natural History Museum of Bergen, Norway. The 2022 Winner of the Portimão Museum Prize.
The exhibition presents both in a poetic and scientific way how species appear, develop, and disperse.
Hypsos provided the concept, design and build of this exceptional exhibition providing an immersive experience and public interaction ‘Celebrating Biodiversity’. We established a core-team of experts, Opera /Studio Louter / ShoSho /Rapenburg Technologies and in close collaboration with the University Team realized this amazing museum experience.
The University of Bergen wanted to increase the public understanding of the crucial importance of biodiversity, and hence promote a sustainable use of natural resources preserving this diversity. The intention was to achieve this by providing an inclusive, immersive exhibition experience that displays the magnitude of life and change in a spectacular way. The team created an immersive exhibition wholeheartedly, as it fits our common mission and experience to help visitors understand the world around them through meaningful and emotional experiences.
Due to our approach of ‘crafting future memories’ we produced a strong interpretive concept in the form of a meaningful spatial metaphor and scenography, whereby storyline, objects and media are integrated to ensure a coherent and inclusive visitor experience.
Visitor journey
The concept was meant to entice the visitor to think ‘being in the forest of life’. You can even see it as a call to action: Think! Be aware.
When the visitor enters the space, he sees a dream forest of transparent light emitting trees. When he starts to explore, he discovers that all the trees have organisms as leaves. The experience ends with the co-creative interactive ‘I think, I act’- wall where the visitors add what they (can) do themselves to protect biodiversity and where he can playfully experience how we can only preserve biodiversity if we act together.
Design - Opera
Curatoral and text writing – Studio Louter
Photography: Adnan Icagic
