Summary

December 1602 – the Duke of Savoy is about to send his troops into Geneva. As Brunaulieu becomes the first to reach the top of the city walls, the shot of an arquebus echoes through the night, sounding the alarm. A series of acts of bravery then shifts the tide of the battle – a cooking pot thrown from an open window, a fiercely defended door, or a portcullis crashing to the ground with a thunderous roar. These are just some of the events visitors witness during their journey through Geneva in 1602.

Escalade: The Darkest Night is an immersive VR experience that lets visitors relive the events of that fateful night. They navigate dark streets and treacherous rooftops and stand alongside legendary figures of the Escalade as Geneva comes under attack by the troops of the Duke of Savoy.

The experience was created in partnership with the Compagnie de 1602, whose expertise contributed to the historical reconstruction.

Escalade: The Darkest Night was presented at the Dreamscape center in Geneva from December 9, 2023, to December 28, 2025.

Learn more about the immersive technology behind the experience.

Credits

Summary

In November 1620, the passengers and crew of the Mayflower reached the coast of Massachusetts, where they established a new colony. Among them were Puritan Reformers seeking to build a community in accordance with their religious and political aspirations.

Aboard the Mayflower is a VR experience that transports visitors into the final moments of this historic voyage. The journey begins at Geneva’s Reformation Wall before taking participants aboard the Mayflower, where they witness discussions between the passengers and discover Cape Cod Bay from the upper deck of the ship.

Designed as a lightweight standalone VR installation using Oculus Quest, the experience combines historical reconstruction, storytelling and immersive technology to connect Geneva’s Reformation heritage with the voyage of the Mayflower.

Aboard the Mayflower was presented at the International Museum of the Reformation in Geneva from October 28, 2020, to August 31, 2021.

Credits

Original idea and scientific committee
Gabriel de Montmollin, Hanna Woodhead – Internation Museum of the Reformation

Production, direction, script, 3D content creation, gameplay, photogrammetry and motion capture
Artanim

Actors
Vincent Coppey, José Lillo, Edmond Vuilloux

Sound design
Félicien Fleury, Alain Renaud – ActMedia

Voice-over
Sabina Foeth

Dubbing
Tony Clark, Jonathan Cotton, Jan Peter Richter, William Sage, James Smillie, Thomas Stecher

Summary

Geneva 1850 is a multi-user immersive VR experience that transports visitors to Geneva in October 1846, just days before the uprising that marks a turning point in the city’s political history.

In groups of four, participants embody period characters and freely explore the reconstructed city. The experience combines visual, spatial, auditory, olfactory and haptic elements: visitors walk physically through the virtual environment, interact with real objects and engage with fellow participants and virtual characters.

The historical environment is based on 3D data obtained from the digitization of the Relief Magnin exhibited at Maison Tavel, bringing the streets and architecture of 19th-century Geneva back to life.

Geneva 1850 was presented at Maison Tavel from April 12 to July 14, 2019, and at the Museum of Art and History of Geneva from August 1 to September 29, 2019. It was later presented at the Dreamscape center in Geneva from July, 1, 2022, to December 1, 2023.

Learn more about the immersive technology behind the experience.

Credits

Production, project direction, VR platform, 3D content creation, gameplay and R&D
Artanim

Coordination – City of Geneva and Museum of Art and History
Félicien Mazzola, David Matthey, Bertrand Mazeirat

Script
Marianne Brun

Performance direction
Dorian Rossel

Actors
Marco Calamandrei, Fabien Coquil, Xavier Fernandez Cavada, Delphine Lanza, José Lillo, Edmond Vuilloux

Concept art and illustrations
Laurence Suhner

Sound environment
ActMedia

Set design and haptic devices
Marc Wettstein

Scent creation
Firmenich SA

User equipment design
Actis-Datta Créations Sàrl

English dubbing
Dale Chappell, Melisa Epp, Andrew Fogarasi, Kenneth Kriheli, Stephen Fu, Vince Melamed, David Richter, Steven Varnum

Voice-over
Sabina Foeth

Scientific committee
Bénédicte De Donker, Estelle Fallet, Alexandre Fiette, Sylvain Wenger

Supported by
City of Geneva, Ernst Göhner Foundation