Reconnecting with nature through immersive exhibition “Ritual of Return”

Art and science students at UCLA want you to reconsider the human relationship with nature, even if it means shrinking you down to the size of an insect – or at least creating an immersive environment that helps shift your perspective to the scale of tiny creatures. 

This past fall, students from the Department of Design Media Arts (DMA) collaborated with environmental science, biology, and public policy students in the course “Introduction to Ecological Art and Justice.” The students staged an installation at Broad Art Center called “Ritual of Return,” which combined immersive video, audio, sculpture, and performance to make visitors feel fully embedded in a natural environment. Students also produced an illustrated booklet about the research and iteration that led to the final exhibition. 

"Works In Progress" host Avishay Artsy met with class instructor Erin Cooney, a lecturer and alumna of DMA; Leslie Foster, the TA for the class and a second-year graduate student at DMA; and Jen Hotes, an undergraduate student in the class.