A coalition of the world’s leading environmental organizations today launched “Antarctica: The Melting Silence,” a pioneering immersive film experience that brings the remote Antarctic wilderness to the heart of London. The installation, directed by Alex Wolf and premiered at Outernet London on Earth Day this week, merges cutting-edge technology with environmental activism to call for the protection of 30% of the Southern Ocean by 2030.
The groundbreaking 25K resolution experience transforms Outernet’s immense wraparound screens into a 360-degree Antarctic environment, allowing visitors to witness firsthand the fragile beauty of Earth’s southernmost continent and understand the urgent threats it faces from climate change, industrial fishing, and pollution.
“What happens in Antarctica affects us all,” said Ashlan Gorse Cousteau, Antarctica2030 champion, journalist and explorer, who hosted the launch event. “The Southern Ocean regulates our global climate, supports marine ecosystems worldwide, and sustains billions of livelihoods. This immersive experience brings the remote Antarctic to London, helping people connect emotionally with a place they may never visit but that urgently needs their support.”
The film features a custom orchestral score by Nico Cartosio, a contemporary classical composer and two-time Billboard Classical Top 20 artist. Recorded with a full live orchestra and over 150 instrument layers, and enhanced by Outernet London’s unique spatial sound system, the result is a rich, immersive, and emotionally powerful audio experience.The installation was created by Lookport in collaboration with Outernet, Communications INC and over 60 artists, scientists, and technologists, making it one of the most ambitious immersive environmental projects ever produced.
Alex Wolf, Lookport founder and director of the film, added: “This is a beautiful, touching, and meaningful project for me — a way to turn care into action, and technology into something more human. It’s also a deeply personal and artistic statement: Antarctica’s beauty is fragile, and so is our future. This project is our way of saying that we still have time to act — and to protect it.”
Philip O’Ferrall, CEO of Outernet Global, said: “Outernet was designed to be a canvas for the most important stories of our time. ‘Antarctica: The Melting Silence’ perfectly demonstrates how our immersive technology can create unprecedented emotional connections between audiences and urgent global issues. By transforming our digital canvas into the Antarctic wilderness, we’re not just showcasing technological innovation—we’re helping to inspire meaningful action for one of the planet’s most critical ecosystems. This collaboration with leading environmental organizations exemplifies Outernet’s commitment to using our platform for powerful storytelling that drives positive change.”
The installation at Outernet—the UK’s most visited cultural attraction—utilizes the venue’s unique 23,000 square feet of floor-to-ceiling 25K screens to create an unparalleled sensory experience. Outernet is the only platform capable of presenting the film to its full effect, with its revolutionary technology forming an intrinsic part of the storytelling.
Representatives from Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, Antarctica2030, the Blue Nature Alliance, Greenpeace, Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy and WWF, joined the launch to emphasise their shared commitment to securing marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Southern Ocean, which would protect a vast array of biodiversity, including unique ecosystems, vulnerable species, and critical habitats. In 2024, nearly 200 countries committed to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, but political action has been slow due to geopolitical tensions at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the international body responsible for conserving Antarctic marine life.
The installation launches a year-long campaign calling on governments worldwide to accelerate the designation of MPAs in the Southern Ocean and work toward the global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. Visitors to the installation can sign a petition urging immediate political action, making “Antarctica: The Melting Silence” not just an artistic experience but an active call for global cooperation.
The installation will remain at Outernet London for public viewing through April 2026.
Supporting partner quotes:“In our response to the climate breakdown, nature is our greatest ally,” said Claire Christian, from the Antarctic Southern Ocean Coalition. “Marine protected areas are essential tools for building ecosystem resilience against the inevitable effects of climate change. We need world leaders to put geopolitical differences aside and cooperate to protect Antarctica’s waters for future generations.”
“Throughout history, we’ve seen that when leaders rise to meet the urgency of the moment, progress follows,” said Andrea Kavanagh, who directs Southern Ocean conservation work for Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy. “This kind of leadership is required today for the Southern Ocean and the wildlife it supports. CCAMLR has the chance to act decisively to protect Antarctica, not just for the rich biodiversity, but for the future of our planet. Let this powerful exhibition be the spark that moves decision-makers to action.”
“Antarctica is a place of breathtaking stillness and staggering importance, not just for wildlife, but for the health of our entire planet,” said Ryan Dolan, Antarctic Lead, Blue Nature Alliance. “To protect this ecosystem, we need bold, immediate action. ‘Antarctica: The Melting Silence’ gives voice to a place that can’t speak for itself and reminds us what could be lost if we don’t act. Global leaders have a responsibility to protect this extraordinary region, before silence becomes loss.”
“Antarctic ecosystems – already under huge pressure due to climate change – are also facing another threat due to increasingly concentrated fishing,” said Rhona Kent, polar oceans specialist at WWF-UK. “Antarctic krill, which feature in the film, are the unsung heroes of the Southern Ocean, supporting incredible marine life. They are the reason humpback whales migrate thousands of miles to feed in the icy waters around Antarctica, and they play a role in capturing carbon too. But now, climate change and industrial fishing are putting the krill themselves at risk. We urgently need to create a network of marine protected areas in the southern ocean to protect their habitats, and the many species that rely on them.”