CONCEPT
Nakhodha and the Mermaid is multisensorial 33 minutes, XR mix media immersive art installation experience, inside a 16th century landmark building in the Island of Mozambique, warning how African coastal populations, who for centuries have lived in harmonious relationship with the sea, are being affected by the consequences of global warming - a problem to which they have not contributed to.
On board of the life size dhow, visitors are invited to put on virtual reality headsets, which launch them on an astonishing journey through time and space, of the wisdom, knowledge and science of the traditional coastal populations, strongly marked by the Swahili culture.
Combining chants, stories, cultural heritage and the slavery memories of fishermen and women of the sea, with whale songs and other sounds of the sea, the immersive experience takes the visitor into the initiation cycle of a traditional Indian Ocean sailor into a Nakhodha, a sea wisdom keeper, and his love affair with a mermaid.
The magic is brought to life through 360° video projection mapping, evocative spatial music and 360° virtual reality film, creating an unforgettable and emotional experience for visitors.
This is an experience for life. An experience to change lives.
The Nakhodha and the Mermaid celebrates cultural heritage, and traditional knowledge, using immersive technology to create an “immersive drowning experience" to warn about the effects of global warming and instill urgency of protecting Swahili maritime heritage before it disappears.
The installation is open to visitors, by appointment, in a historical warehouse of the former Customs House in the Island of Mozambique, a place where, until the 19th century, enslaved people were taken to the Americas, an integral part of the installation.
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