Virtual Reality - The Starry Sand Beach

‍"The Star-Shaped Sand Beach " is a virtual reality science story that takes you on a journey to meet star-shaped foraminifera—tiny organisms of crucial ecological importance that are now threatened by global warming and ocean acidification. ​

On Taketomi Island, in southern Japan, legend has it that a star from the Southern Cross met the North Star. Their thousands of children fell from the sky into the Sea of Okinawa, devoured by a sea serpent that left only their skeletons behind, before the current washed them ashore on Taketomi, forever sprinkling its sand with tiny stars. Behind the myth lies a genuine scientific quest. Foraminifera come in an infinite variety of shapes: some star-shaped, others shaped like amphorae, ears, or strange shells, and their calcium carbonate shells make it possible to date the movements of the ocean floor back as far as 500 million years, while also revealing the rate of ocean acidification. ​

Accompanied by Armand Amar’s original score, this immersive experience weaves together poetry and science to reveal the infinitely small and its role in the balance of our planet.​

As a documentary writer-director, Nina Barbier explores major social issues, history, religion, and the call to travel. Passionate about Asia—and Japan in particular—she has directed numerous films for the program “Buddhist Wisdom” and has filmed in India, Nepal, France, and Japan.​

Huang Hsin-Chien creates interactive and immersive digital works that blend art, design, and engineering. His entire approach centers on harnessing cutting-edge technologies to serve creativity, from literature to live performance. He is the creator of critically acclaimed virtual reality experiences such as *Bodyless* (2020) and *Samsara Ep.1* (2021). He has also collaborated with major artists, including Laurie Anderson on *La Camera Insabbiata* (2017, Grand Award at the Venice Film Festival) and *To the Moon* (2018), as well as Jean-Michel Jarre on *The Eye and I* (2023).