The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco has won the Museum category at the MONDO-DR Awards for Oceano Odyssey – Mission Pelagos, the immersive experience built into its Méditerranée 2050 exhibition.
The prize was awarded on 17th June at InfoComm, a trade show for audiovisual and immersive technology held in Las Vegas, where the project was selected from four international finalists in the category. The Mondo-DR Awards, run by the magazine of the same name, recognise the year’s standout achievements in audiovisual and immersive technology and systems integration, covering museums, theme parks, attractions and other cultural and entertainment venues. Finalists are first assessed by an independent panel of international experts before going to a vote among industry professionals.
A vision of the Mediterranean in 2050
Oceano Odyssey sets out to imagine what the Mediterranean might look like in 2050 if today’s conservation commitments were fully honoured. The experience was designed with the agency Artisans d’idées and installed inside the Whale Room, one of the museum’s most recognisable heritage spaces, combining immersive staging, scientific narration and audiovisual technology.
Using 27 4K laser projectors and spatial sound across a 310 square metre installation, visitors board a fictional exploration vessel for a 16-minute journey through the Pelagos Sanctuary, encountering 30 species associated with the Mediterranean, including loggerhead turtles, fin whales, sperm whales and Risso’s dolphins. The scenario depicts a future in which 30% of the region’s marine waters have been placed under protection, restoring a marine ecosystem still under pressure today.
Museum director credits technology in service of storytelling
Robert Calcagno, director general of the Oceanographic Institute, said the project reflected the museum’s commitment to “constantly inventing new forms of mediation to help people get to know, love and protect the Ocean.” Of the award itself, he added that it spoke to “our wish to combine scientific excellence, technological innovation and emotion to bring the public closer to the major challenges of marine conservation, spark curiosity and, above all, give everyone the desire to act.”
The Oceanographic Institute, founded in 1906 by Prince Albert I, runs the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco alongside the Maison de l’Océan in Paris, and has backed the Méditerranée 2050 exhibition with support from the Prince’s Government, CFM Indosuez Wealth Management and Rolex, among other partners.
See also:
Inside Méditerranée 2050: the ocean exhibition that dares to dive into the future
Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Photo credit: Frederic Pacorel