RE-ANIMATED CD Key

RE-ANIMATED

RE-ANIMATED is a 15‑minute meditative and guided VR experience that brings memories of the extinct Kaua‘i ʻōʻō and its lost Hawaiian habitat back to life. Biological traces of the bird and recordings of its final 1975 mating call transform into a magical‑realist portrait as you enter an ecosystem suspended in time.

This work explores the interplay between biology and technology. Created with special access to the American Museum of Natural History and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s restricted archives, it bridges natural history and digital imagination. Grounded in an interview with ornithologist Douglas H. Pratt—one of the last to witness the bird while alive—RE‑ANIMATED serves as both tribute and reflection on how technology reshapes our connection to the natural world.

A hand‑crafted digital memoryscape lies at its core. Built from years of field research and 3D scans of real flora and fauna, the piece blends documentary material with a painterly, handcrafted environment. The virtual world is brought to life by music from Michael Riesman, Musical Director of the Philip Glass Ensemble, layered with field recordings from the bird’s original habitat to create a moving memory of the species.

RE‑ANIMATED is a museum‑grade experience translated for home viewing. It has been presented as a landmark VR artwork at the Future Generations Art Prize during the Venice Biennale 2019 and exhibited internationally at more than 45 leading arts institutions. Notable venues include PHI Montreal 2026, Arken Museum of Modern Art 2023, Espoo Museum of Modern Art 2022, Centre Pompidou 2023, and M+ Museum 2022. Festival appearances span SXSW 2019, CPH:DOX 2019, Geneva Film Festival 2018, Immersive Tech Week 2020, and REFRESH 2020.

This is not a game. It is a landmark piece in contemporary VR art, now adapted for you to share and experience at home. If you are curious to encounter the work outside of museums or to support the project, this piece offers a contemplative window into ecological memory and digital imagination.

Performance considerations: For the best experience, we strongly recommend using the official MetaLink cable (instead of AirLink on MetaQuest), keeping graphic drivers up to date, and adjusting GPU settings to maximize performance.