Bucharest’s MINA museum debuts new immersive series showing wildlife in their natural habitats

A new series of digital shows at MINA (the Museum of Immersive New Art) in Bucharest uses large-scale projections and immersive sound to showcase wildlife in their natural habitats, offering a digital alternative to traditional zoos. Planeta Animalelor/The Animals’ Planet recreates the Earth’s major ecosystems and offers visitors the chance to explore the natural world without cages, enclosures, or live animals.

“Planeta Animalelor is a modern alternative to the zoo, where animals are reproduced on a real scale, exactly in their natural habitat. Each show explores a different world, bringing to the fore unique moments that we could not observe even on a real safari,” the organizers said.

The first show, titled Jungla/The Jungle, focuses on tropical rainforests and features real-scale digital renderings of animals such as the Bengal tiger, red panda, sloth, toucan, and several species of monkeys. Visitors are surrounded by immersive visuals and ambient sounds that simulate the atmosphere of the Amazon, Southeast Asian jungles, and African tropical forests.

Several other shows are planned in the series. The next is Ținuturile Nesfârșite/The Endless Lands, which will explore the African savanna and Asian steppes, featuring lions, elephants, cheetahs, and more. This will be followed by Ținuturile Înghețate și Pădurile Adânci/Frozen Lands and Deep Forests covering polar regions and boreal ecosystems with polar bears, wolves, and emperor penguins.

The final part of the series is Insulele și Adâncurile Albastre/Islands and Blue Depths, focused on marine and island wildlife, including kangaroos, koalas, sharks, and bioluminescent fish.

Tickets and schedules are available on the museum’s official website.

(Photo source: MINA)