JRR SAYS: VISIT ARCADIA EARTH

A MULTISENSORY ART EXPERIENCE THROUGH PLANET EARTH

WORDS BY ARCADIA EARTH

Arcadia Earth is a next generation art exhibition designed to reignite the conversation around the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Founded and designed by experiential artist Valentino Vettori, Arcadia is the first platform of its kind to offer a powerful, intimately personal exploration of the plight of our planet through human scale art installations and the futuristic lens of augmented and virtual reality.

Guests will be transported through 15 rooms designed to shine a spotlight on the ecological issues threatening our very existence - overfishing, plastic pollution, food waste, deforestation and climate change. Covering 15000 sqft, highlights of the expansive showcase include a pathway through an underwater ocean where guests can observe our shrinking coral beds and gaze at the ceiling emblazoned with plastic coated jellyfish – the only sea life expected to survive in our polluted oceans – and venture through a life-size entrapment of fishing nets to emphasize the fact that seafood is on the brink of extinction.

Each installation has been developed using upcycled materials and reusable elements, created in collaboration with 12 leading environmental artists including Samuelle Green, Tamara Kotianovsky, Etty Yaniv, Cindy Pease Roe, Poramit Thantapalit, Jesse Harrod, Justin Bolognino/META, Katie Donahue, Katharina Hoerath, Charlotte Becket and Emmy Mikelson. Vettori also partnered with Brooklyn-based artist Basia Goszczynska to honor New York State’s ban on plastic bags by creating a cave of 44,000 recycled plastics bags, representing the number used in the state per minute. TENCELTM too has teamed up with Arcadia Earth to create a room of their compostable and biodegradable fibers.

“Arcadia uses lights, advanced technology, and art (from recycled materials) to create a fun experience and to spread important messages about our earth in a way that reaches everyone (adults and children alike). My daughter went twice and wants to go again!”

— JRR

With a focus on individual empowerment, each installation provides educational commentary uncovering inconvenient truths about the future of our planet – like the fact that we ingest the equivalent of one credit card a week in microplastics – accompanied by easily actionable suggestions to inspire everyone to become part of the solution. The experience culminates with a petition signing room where visitors can choose make their own personal vows to help with the conservation of the planet.

Arcadia Earth is located at 718 Broadway and will run through 2020. Tickets for general admission are $33, student tickets are $27 – currently available for purchase on arcadia.earth. A tree will be planted for every ticket sold and proceeds from ticket sales will go to support Arcadia’s educational and charity partner, Oceanic Global, an organization devoted to raising awareness of the devastating effects human consumption has on our aquatic ecosystems. Charitable supporters also include WWF, EarthX and Underwater Earth.

ABOUT VALENTINO VETTORI: With over 20 years of experience working with leading fashion institutions, Valentino Vettori is passionate about restructuring how customers interact with brand environments. Vettori’s objective has always been to inspire and engage the emotions of those visiting his installations. The vision for Arcadia was born in 2017 out of a promise Vettori made to Paul Hawken, driven by his growing awareness of the ecological challenges we face and a desire to create a hub where artists, communities, activists, and institutions could come together to engage in being part of environmental solutions.

ABOUT OCEANIC GLOBAL: Oceanic Global engages new audiences in ocean conservation. The non-profit taps into universal passions to raise awareness for issues impacting our oceans and to provide individual and industry solutions that drive positive change. Oceanic Global takes a uniquely creative approach to conservation, creating immersive experiences that engage local communities, amplify the efforts of synergistic groups, generate measurable impact and ignite global action.