The multimedia exhibition "VR Glacier Experience" shows how climate change is affecting the Morteratsch Glacier. The virtual reality exhibition was created by a team from Unifr and ZHdK.
Whatever visitors have heard about the development of our glaciers, this exhibition aims to make it tangible: The exhibition "VR Glacier Experience" is located in the Diavolezza valley station in Pontresina GR and takes visitors on four different expeditions. Visitors are equipped with VR glasses and can move around in virtual space. This allows visitors to experience the striking changes in the glacier and landscape for themselves.
However, the experience is also intended to show the enormous challenges that lie ahead in this context in the high alpine region. The virtual reality exhibition was created jointly by experts from the Department of Geosciences at the University of Zurich and designers from the Knowledge Visualisation department at ZHdK.
Virtual mountain worlds thanks to VR
All visualisations of glacier development are based on hydrological and glaciological measurement series going back 150 years as well as the latest Swiss climate scenarios for the future, as the university explains further. In addition, the terrain of the Val da Morteratsch has been realistically recreated thanks to hundreds of photographs.
Four guided, virtual tours around Morteratsch
The two local tour guides, Andri and Ladina, welcome visitors in virtual reality and take them to selected locations around the Morteratsch Glacier. After a short introduction, there are four excursions on different topics to choose from (in the VR menu):
The first tour opens up hitherto unknown perspectives and shows the water resources in and around the glacier, but also in the clouds and in the soil and rock. The second excursion allows visitors to experience the water balance - from water storage to seasonal water runoff - in the past, present and future (1875-2100). The third tour on the trail of the ptarmigan focuses on changes in the fauna. And finally, visitors learn more about the Mortalive project, which aims to slow down glacier shrinkage through artificial snowmaking.
150th anniversary project of GKB
The research collaboration between the ZHdK and Unifr was made possible as part of the Graubündner Kantonalbank's 150th anniversary project #gkb2020. The results of this collaboration will now be presented from 10 October with the "VR Glacier Experience" exhibition in Pontresina. The exhibition, designed by the skipp agency, will be open to the public for around three years.
Source: glacierexperience / Baublatt / Youtube
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