VR Experience: The World Came Flooding In
The World Came Flooding In, 2025. Interactive VR film, 30 mins, Directed by Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine. World premiere at ACMI, presented by Melbourne International Film Festival and Now Or Never Festival, Melbourne, 2025.
15 Jul 2026 — 30 Aug 2026
The World Came Flooding In, 2025. Interactive VR film, 30 mins, Directed by Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine. World premiere at ACMI, presented by Melbourne International Film Festival and Now Or Never Festival, Melbourne, 2025.
| Dates | Wednesday 15 July to Sunday 30 August |
|---|---|
| Times | 30-minute sessions available on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays between Wednesday 15 July – Sun 30 August. |
| Cost | Free |
| Booking | RSVP required | Book via the link below |
| Age | Recommended for ages 15 years old and above. |
COMING SOON - An award-winning VR Documentary, exploring the rich inner world that remains when everything has been washed away.
In The World Came Flooding In, lost objects and spaces are recreated by the artists in collaboration with flood affected people. Experience this award-winning VR Documentary, exploring the rich inner world that remains when everything has been washed away.
You will hear from three people - Marina, Antoinette and Tom, in their own words as they share their stories of living through a flood, separated by thousands of kilometres but connected by shared experience. Using cardboard and other simple materials, the artists artfully recreate the lost homes of each storyteller in miniature, then, via photogrammetry the rooms are translated into virtual reality.
The result is an evocative and wondrous tour through memory spaces. This is a lyrical and unique experiential work that explores personal memory, grief and loss, and the shared experience of an extreme climate event.
Note: This VR Documentary is recommended for ages 15 years and above. Parental Guidance recommended.
Session Times
2 participants per session - 30 minutes each.
Wednesday 15 July – Sunday 30 August 2026
Wednesdays
Session 1 | 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Session 2 | 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Session 3 | 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Session 4 | 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Thursdays
Session 1 | 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Session 2 | 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Session 3 | 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Session 4 | 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Fridays
Session 1 | 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Session 2 | 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Sundays
Session 1 | 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Session 2 | 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Content advisory
Please be aware that this exhibition includes themes and imagery relating to flooding and disaster events.
These themes may be distressing for visitors who have been personally affected by floods or related experiences.
Note: There is an option to skip flood scenes within the VR experience.
Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine
With a shared passion for stop-motion animation, storytelling and technology, Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine have a 20+ year career creating elaborate interactive artworks, moving short films and unique immersive installations which have been celebrated all over the world.
Their works have premiered at film festivals across the world including at Cannes (where they were awarded a Special Mention), Venice, Rotterdam, Chicago and Sundance. Their installations have been exhibited nationally and internationally including at GOMA, MONA, NGV, Art Gallery of NSW, Ars Electronica, Linz, the ICA, London, and at the Seoul New Media Biennale. Their installation You Were In My Dream won the 2010 Premier of Queensland's National New Media Art Award. Their VR film Passenger won the Virtual Reality Award - Best Film at the 60th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Their Augmented Reality work Night Creatures won the 2023 AIDC award for best Immersive/Interactive Documentary.
RELATED PROGRAMS
The World Came Flooding In
27 Jun 2026 — 30 Aug 2026
An XR installation by Isobel Knowles & Van Sowerwine, where stories from flood affected people highlight how we embody household objects with meaning, feeling and memory.
Postcard still, The World Came Flooding In. Image Courtesy of the Artists.
Memory Postcard Workshop with Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine
02 May 2026 — 03 May 2026
Memory Postcard is a workshop exploring memories in relation to flooding.