The Changing Ocean – An Immersive Exhibition
by Sølve Jozeph Westli.
The ocean speaks in waves, light — and an astonishing amount of sound.
The Changing Ocean is an immersive exhibition that invites audiences to experience the underwater world through 360° visuals, spatial audio, and sensory storytelling.
This is not a film. It’s a journey — from shoreline to deep sea, through beauty, tension, and transformation.
A multi-sensory journey through the world’s most vital ecosystem
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The Experience
The Changing Ocean is designed as a walkable, immersive landscape — approximately 1,000 square meters (10,750 square feet) — where visitors move freely through a series of interconnected zones. Each zone represents a distinct part of the ocean, from the sunlit shoreline to the mysterious deep sea.
Visitors don’t just watch — they feel, hear, and interact.
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Build it.
The following describes the full-scale touring version of The Changing Ocean — currently in development.
The Zones Include:
The Coast & Continental Shelf: Sounds of crashing waves, human activity, and marine life collide.The Water Column: Light shifts, audio evolves, and suspended visuals illustrate the vertical world of ocean currents and migration.
Phytoplankton Forest: Microscopic life enlarged — a glowing, breathing, animated display of ocean lungs in motion.
Bioluminescent Zone: A darkened, dreamlike area showcasing the diversity of creatures that glow in the deep — from tiny plankton to jellyfish and sharks.
Deep Sea Habitat: Pressurized silence meets tactile installations — visitors can touch selected deep-sea materials and fossilized remains.
Noise Pollution & Disruption: A high-impact sound environment contrasting natural ocean acoustics with industrial noise.
Interactive Response Zone: Sensors translate visitor movement and sound into visual reactions — a poetic metaphor for how human presence affects the ocean.
Spatial audio, reactive visuals, scent cues, and tactile experiences merge to create a multi-layered emotional and educational journey.
Every step reveals how the ocean works — and how it’s changing.
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Environmental immersion
Immersive experiences have transformed how we engage with museums, science centers, and attractions, but one of the most exciting trends today is environmental immersion—where digital storytelling and physical space merge to create profound encounters with nature.
Read my full article at BlooLoop
“A review from a previous installation – The Unknown Land (University Museum of Bergen):
“I dare say the exhibition has it all:
a clear narrative,
innovative scenography,
engaging, research-based stories,
authentic objects, aesthetic models,
projections and sensor technology
that turn the audience into co-creators of the landscape.”
“In return, it deserves visitors
who slow down…
and allow themselves to drift gently.”
Ready to Dive Deeper?
Do you represent a science center, museum, or cultural institution?
Are you part of a foundation or organization that supports ocean awareness and climate education?
Are you involved in immersive storytelling, media, or environmental advocacy?
