London experiential studio Observatory has teamed up with EarthSonic, the climate-focused music programme of In Place of War, to create Two Seas and Vinorun, two immersive audiovisual experiences exploring climate change and Indigenous ecological knowledge through electronic music, immersive visuals and storytelling.
Two Seas and Vinorun, two immersive installations directed by Observatory founder Ben Sheppee, premiere at Nxt Museum in Amsterdam on Thursday 22 October as part of ADE Arts &
Culture 2026. Presented by EarthSonic, In Place of War's project telling the story of climate change through music, the works combine new music by Paranoid London and Paul Hartnoll
of Orbital with field recordings, research and film from Finland, Uzbekistan and Malaysian Borneo.
Two Seas pairs two bodies of water: the Bothnian Bay at Oulu, Finland, where the winter
sea ice is retreating, and the Aral Sea at Muynak, Uzbekistan, where the water has already gone. The film finds what the two places share, then traces the climate system
connecting them. Its music is by Paranoid London with artists from both countries, and collaborators including Matt Black of Coldcut.
Vinorun explores the traditional ecological knowledge of Sabah's Momogun
communities through rinait, their ritual chants. It is a collaboration between the Malaysian NGO Pertubuhan Kolektif Seni Budaya Sabah, EarthSonic, The University of Manchester and the British Council, with music
by Hartnoll and Rungus musician Razif Ajip built from field recordings and the chants. Director of photography Alistair Lomas spent a month documenting the community, returning with footage, phytograms and
solargraphs. Sheppee combined that material with research validated by the community to show how its people live in harmony with nature.
The premiere runs from 17:00 to 21:00 and
includes both installations, a live AV set by Paranoid London, a performance by Natural Symphony and a panel discussion with Sheppee and the artists. Both installations will tour internationally in 2027.