The image shows the outstretched arm of a person whose hand touches a dark projection surface. On the surface, illuminated silhouettes of birds resembling cranes can be seen. Light reflections and shadows play across the hand, creating an impression of interaction between the body and the projection.

Anthropology | Animal Migration

MYRIAD. Where we connect.

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A project at the intersection of art, science, and storytelling

Responsibility

Climate impacts

Virtual Reality

Science

Immersion

MYRIAD. Where we connect. is an international, multidisciplinary, and immersive project about the fragile system of life on our planet. It invites audiences to immerse themselves in a multimedia experience, follow the global migration routes of animals, and rediscover the invisible networks of life on Earth.

At the heart of the project are the remarkable journeys of migrating animals, which in the age of human-made climate change open up new perspectives on the vulnerability of our ecosystems and their interdependencies. Visitors immerse themselves in this world, following the routes of birds, green sea turtles, or Arctic foxes. With them, they cross mountains and oceans, experiencing the global interconnectedness of life more vividly than ever before.

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The image shows a hand placed on a surface illuminated by clusters of light dots, resembling a star field or abstract digital pattern. Above the projection, the text “MYRIAD” is written in letters made of white dots, with the subtitle “Where We Connect” below. The image conveys a sense of interaction and digital connectivity.

MYRIAD. Where we connect. - Behind the Scenes

MYRIAD. […] is art and empiricism, arthouse comic and visualized science. Above all, it is a journey in the best of company.
Sueddeutsche Zeitung

Scientific foundation

MYRIAD was created in close collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. Real migration data from more than 22,000 animals form the scientific foundation of the project. These data are translated into a multidimensional and empathetic experience through poetic storytelling, artistic imagery, and immersive technologies.

The image shows a woman with long curly hair wearing a white VR headset labeled “MYRIAD.” She sits in a dimly lit room, looking intently forward. In the background, another person with a similar headset is visible out of focus. The image conveys the impression of an immersive virtual reality experience in an exhibition or installation.

The image shows three massive black structures in a dark exhibition space. Projections are displayed on their surfaces, including white silhouettes of birds and text. The left object reads “Amurfalke – Falco amurensis,” while the right one displays “5.5 Tage, 5,600 km.” The installation is illuminated with blue-violet light, and several projectors hang from the ceiling. Smaller black shapes resembling stones are scattered around the objects.

The image shows the outstretched arm of a person whose hand touches a dark projection surface. On the surface, illuminated silhouettes of birds resembling cranes can be seen. Light reflections and shadows play across the hand, creating an impression of interaction between the body and the projection.

The image shows a person in a motorized paraglider (trike) flying above a mountain landscape with valleys and ridges. The person is wearing a cap, headphones, and protective clothing. Several birds, likely migratory birds, are flying alongside and ahead of the aircraft. The sky is partly cloudy, and the landscape stretches widely below.

The image shows a woman with long curly hair wearing a white VR headset labeled “MYRIAD.” She sits in a dimly lit room, looking intently forward. In the background, another person with a similar headset is visible out of focus. The image conveys the impression of an immersive virtual reality experience in an exhibition or installation.

The image shows three massive black structures in a dark exhibition space. Projections are displayed on their surfaces, including white silhouettes of birds and text. The left object reads “Amurfalke – Falco amurensis,” while the right one displays “5.5 Tage, 5,600 km.” The installation is illuminated with blue-violet light, and several projectors hang from the ceiling. Smaller black shapes resembling stones are scattered around the objects.

The image shows the outstretched arm of a person whose hand touches a dark projection surface. On the surface, illuminated silhouettes of birds resembling cranes can be seen. Light reflections and shadows play across the hand, creating an impression of interaction between the body and the projection.

The image shows a person in a motorized paraglider (trike) flying above a mountain landscape with valleys and ridges. The person is wearing a cap, headphones, and protective clothing. Several birds, likely migratory birds, are flying alongside and ahead of the aircraft. The sky is partly cloudy, and the landscape stretches widely below.

The image shows a woman with long curly hair wearing a white VR headset labeled “MYRIAD.” She sits in a dimly lit room, looking intently forward. In the background, another person with a similar headset is visible out of focus. The image conveys the impression of an immersive virtual reality experience in an exhibition or installation.

The image shows three massive black structures in a dark exhibition space. Projections are displayed on their surfaces, including white silhouettes of birds and text. The left object reads “Amurfalke – Falco amurensis,” while the right one displays “5.5 Tage, 5,600 km.” The installation is illuminated with blue-violet light, and several projectors hang from the ceiling. Smaller black shapes resembling stones are scattered around the objects.

The image shows the outstretched arm of a person whose hand touches a dark projection surface. On the surface, illuminated silhouettes of birds resembling cranes can be seen. Light reflections and shadows play across the hand, creating an impression of interaction between the body and the projection.

The image shows a person in a motorized paraglider (trike) flying above a mountain landscape with valleys and ridges. The person is wearing a cap, headphones, and protective clothing. Several birds, likely migratory birds, are flying alongside and ahead of the aircraft. The sky is partly cloudy, and the landscape stretches widely below.

Visitors to the MYRIAD exhibition immerse themselves in the animals’ worlds through virtual reality.

Monumental interactive exhibition at the Frankfurter Kunstverein.

MYRIAD Exhibition – Visitors experience interactive and responsive projection elements.

Impression from the 360° 3D documentary: a Northern Bald Ibis along its migration route, accompanied by its human guardian in an ultralight aircraft.

Visitors to the MYRIAD exhibition immerse themselves in the animals’ worlds through virtual reality.

Monumental interactive exhibition at the Frankfurter Kunstverein.

MYRIAD Exhibition – Visitors experience interactive and responsive projection elements.

Impression from the 360° 3D documentary: a Northern Bald Ibis along its migration route, accompanied by its human guardian in an ultralight aircraft.

Visitors to the MYRIAD exhibition immerse themselves in the animals’ worlds through virtual reality.

Monumental interactive exhibition at the Frankfurter Kunstverein.

MYRIAD Exhibition – Visitors experience interactive and responsive projection elements.

Impression from the 360° 3D documentary: a Northern Bald Ibis along its migration route, accompanied by its human guardian in an ultralight aircraft.

Formats

Over the course of several years, MYRIAD has evolved into a cross-media project universe.

The formats of MYRIAD have received numerous international awards and have been presented at renowned festivals and events, including the Biennale di Venezia, CPH:DOX, Silbersalz, Republica, Berlin Design Week, and the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma de Montréal. Among others, the project has been honored with the Japan Prize, the Lovie Awards, and the Epica Award.

The highlight of the project was the exhibition at the Frankfurter Kunstverein (Oct 2023 – Mar 2024), which attracted more than 18,000 visitors.

Since 2022, more than 12,800 people worldwide have experienced the VR formats of MYRIAD, and nearly 20,000 have immersed themselves in the full installation. This makes the project one of the most widely viewed immersive works of its kind.

MYRIAD. Where we connect. transforms scientific evidence into sensuous experiences through the means of art. […] The arts – and MYRIAD in particular – make an essential contribution to reshaping the relationship between humans and nature.
Franziska Nori, Director of the Frankfurter Kunstverein

MYRIAD shows how art, science, and storytelling can join forces to raise awareness for the fragile balance of our ecosystem as it invites us to question our own role within it.

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