All set for the World Government Summit today
dubai —While government leaders and members of civil society will be discussing solutions to problems posed by climate change and war, two artists will be making their case for environmental protection and peace through virtual reality at the seventh World Government Summit (WGS) that starts today.
Serbian Milica Zec and American Winslow Porter, co-founders and directors at newreality.co, are showcasing ‘Tree’ and ‘Giant’, which are virtual-reality projects that will transform viewers into a tree in the Amazon rainforest and make them feel what it’s like to be trapped in a war zone.
The Tree project premiered at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which was attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. Zec and Porter said Sheikh Hamdan watched their work and invited them to attend the World Government Summit in Dubai.
“Our objective is to present a personalised approach to the problem of climate change. Through the VR experience, you will experience how to become a tree and you will witness what humans do to nature — so you take this problem like it’s your own,” Zec told Khaleej Times on Saturday.
“We are appealing to the hearts of the viewers. There are no texts or sta-
tistics that explain the dangers of deforestation. We don’t want to tell our viewers how many trees are cut every day. We don’t just want them
to know more about climate change, we want them to experience it,” she underlined. Porter added that by attending the WGS, they want to speak to the decision-makers and take concrete steps to stop climate change and promote peace.