Virtual Reality Exhibition: Anote’s Ark + Biidaaban: First Light

This event took place on Sunday, February 3, 2019 at 2:00 pmYukon Arts Centre Studio Theatre

Biidaaban: First Light PROJECT CREATORS: LISA JACKSON, MATHEW BORRETT, JAM3, AND THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA 6 minutes An interactive virtual reality project that illuminates how Indigenous languages can help us understand our place in a reconciled version of Canada’s largest urban environment. Biidaaban: First Light asks users to think about their place in history and their role in a possible future. As they move through a highly realistic future Toronto reclaimed by nature, they hear the languages of the place originally known as Tkaronto. Through gaze-based interactions, users engage with the written text of the Wendat, Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) and Anishinaabe (Ojibway) and gain insight into the complex thought systems of this land’s first peoples. The VR environment was created using to-scale architectural models of Toronto’s Osgoode subway station and the buildings surrounding Nathan Phillips Square. Lisa Jackson (Anishinaabe) is one of Canada’s most celebrated contemporary artists working in film and VR. In Biidaaban: First Light, Lisa joins forces with 3D artist Mathew Borrett to create a future for Canada’s largest urban centre from an Indigenous female perspective. Anote’s Ark VR DIRECTOR: MATTHIEU RYTZ PRODUCERS: BOB MOORE, MATTHIEU RYTZ, EYESTEELFILM 10 minutes Have you ever heard of the Republic of Kiribati? With almost no environmental footprint, this Pacific Island nation is one of the most remote places on the planet, yet it is one of the first countries that must confront the main existential dilemma of our time: imminent annihilation from sea level rise. Anote’s Ark VR takes you on a journey to Kiribati to bear witness to one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. Presented with support of Arts Fund, Yukon Government.