A runaway success at the Venice Biennale’s 2026 Immersive Island—and recipient of the Venice Immersive Achievement award—Empire At Sea is a Solarpunk AR drama about a group of climate scientists who move to a remote oil rig to create a sustainable city at sea. Halfway through the planned summer-long expedition, the big one hits and wipes out the mainland. Unable to make contact, they must fend for themselves.
The piece uses breakthrough holographic technology to make climate science emotionally immediate for the audiences who need it most: the younger generations who will live with the consequences of inaction.
NightLight continued its long-term collaboration with director Peter Flaherty (The Dial, Der Fliegende Holländer, Lohengrin), leading end-to-end technical design for the 25-minute mixed reality experience. Guests experience the work in synchronized Apple Vision Pro headsets around a sculptural LED table that anchors the uncanny holographic sensation. The volumetrically captured story features table-scale digital scenery and in-room lighting and surround audio.
Commissioned by Lincoln Center and ASU Gammage With Commissioning Support from Schwarzman Center at Yale University Supported by Agog Supported by The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
