VolumeInc
California Academy of Sciences "Islands of Evolution" exhibit
(The Island Colonization module is an interactive game where visitors can play with a touch screen table to learn how the various animals arrived and settled in the Galápagos.)
Design: Volume Inc
Executive Producer: Jonathan Katz / Cinnabar
The "Islands of Evolution" exhibit examines the Academy's various expeditions and research in the Galápagos and Madagascar with a focus on evolution. We co-opted the scientific specimen box as a method of organizing content with a contemporary spin, allowing for the different kinds of information to be arranged in varied and compelling ways. The exhibit modules were developed from a standardized kit of parts—including direct-to-ply prints, low-energy LED lightboxes, A/V, and specimens—creating a non-linear, “contemporary cabinet of curiosities.” Visitors benefit from displays’ 360˚ views (rather than being constrained by the “black box” model typical in natural history museums) through transparent materials and openings in the exhibits that encourage human interaction. The exhibits can also be digested based on one’s interest level—whether it’s 2 seconds, 2 minutes, or 2 hours—akin to how we parse content in contemporary times.
California Academy of Sciences "Islands of Evolution" exhibit
(The Island Colonization module is an interactive game where visitors can play with a touch screen table to learn how the various animals arrived and settled in the Galápagos.)
Design: Volume Inc
Executive Producer: Jonathan Katz / Cinnabar
The "Islands of Evolution" exhibit examines the Academy's various expeditions and research in the Galápagos and Madagascar with a focus on evolution. We co-opted the scientific specimen box as a method of organizing content with a contemporary spin, allowing for the different kinds of information to be arranged in varied and compelling ways. The exhibit modules were developed from a standardized kit of parts—including direct-to-ply prints, low-energy LED lightboxes, A/V, and specimens—creating a non-linear, “contemporary cabinet of curiosities.” Visitors benefit from displays’ 360˚ views (rather than being constrained by the “black box” model typical in natural history museums) through transparent materials and openings in the exhibits that encourage human interaction. The exhibits can also be digested based on one’s interest level—whether it’s 2 seconds, 2 minutes, or 2 hours—akin to how we parse content in contemporary times.