“It’s hard to explain Evolver until you try it out for yourself,” creator Barnaby Steel accedes, as the audience emerge wide-eyed with incredulity from the immersive pop-up experience which has just opened in Oxford.
He’s right – Evolver is unlike anything else, the 45 minute immersive journey of ‘life and breath’ taking you within the human body itself; blood, air and cells morphing into tributaries which rush through and over you, constantly on the move, a vast, rapid life-force continuing around you.
Sat on a swivel chair, VR headset complete with earphones in place, the dark room slowly transforms, taking the 12 audience members on a virtual reality journey as you move around on your seat, head craning to follow the paths of the colours and shapes forming around you, articulated by the rushing sound track and Cate Blanchett‘s dulcet narration.
‘Evolver is an absolutely brilliant, unique, beautiful and inspiring way to spend 45 minutes of your day’
Designed by Marshmallow Laser Feast, Evolver premiered at Tribeca film festival, before garnering rave reviews in Australia, South Korea and New York. But now it’s our turn, The Cultural Programme headlining its new programme of exciting events with Evolver as part of its Adventures in Consciousness line-up. Ruby Wax, Lemn Sissay, Max Richter, Tim Flach and UK premiere of Evolver – at Cultural Programme’s ‘Adventures in Consciousness’ in Oxford
Set up at a pop up site on Little Clarendon Street the 45 minute experience features music by Jonny Greenwood, Meredith Monk, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Howard Skempton and Jon Hopkins.
Barnaby adds that Evolver aims to not only connect us with our own bodies and promote self care, but also with the world’s environment and eco system.
Using our breath as the way in, Evolver focuses on air travelling from the mouth to the lungs, our cardiovascular system, and back out into the natural world.
“We started with what a journey around your own body looks like. Collaborating with medical institutions, doctors and scientists, we then used their data to create a 3D model of the human cardiovascular system, transforming that data into something beautiful which demonstrates how powerful and complex our bodies are, to change perspectives through breath,” Barnaby explains.
“Evolver helps you become hyper aware of your own body so when you take your headsets off you then have a deeper level of understanding not just of yourself, but of the planet as a whole, and that’s the intention – it’s a window into the body, a sensory experience that demonstrates the vast richness of human beings and their existence.”
So go! Evolver is an absolutely brilliant, unique, beautiful and inspiring way to spend 45 minutes of your day.
Evolver runs until November 14 from 12 noon until 8pm daily at a pop-up site on Little Clarendon Street. Age recommendation 11+. Book here: https://oxfordculturalprogramme.org.uk/event/evolver/
