The 8th Continent: Echoing the Unheard Sounds of Pollution, a Participatory Immersive Art and Gaming Experience for Public Spaces

Abstract

Plastic pollution is one of the most severe environmental issues we are facing. Plastics are everywhere, from the human body to the most isolated locations on Earth. We present the 8th Continent, a gamified immersive art experience that provides a space for community dialogue. The game brings participatory expression into the digital realm to alert the public to the current extent of plastic pollution. The work enables the participants' engagement as content creators to form an inclusive digital space for knowledge sharing and community expression. The paper focuses on the design methodology and development of the work for a large extended reality display.