The National Geographic Photo Ark: Animals of Earth, a collaboration between National Geographic and Moment Factory, featuring interactives from NeoPangea, redefines the immersive experience by transforming a comprehensive photo and video archive, the National Geographic Photo Ark, into a dynamic and emotionally resonant visitor experience. Its innovation lies not in a single piece of technology, but in its pioneering fusion of narrative storytelling and multi-sensory technology to highlight a core conservation mission.
This project moves beyond passive viewing into a new model for attractions that entertain, educate, and empower visitors in equal measure.
National Geographic Photo Ark uses the power of photography to inspire people to help protect species at risk before it’s too late. Founder and photographer Joel Sartore has taken portraits of more than 17,000 species — and counting — in his quest to document our world’s astonishing diversity.
He’s nearly 75% to his goal of documenting all of the approximately 25,000 species living in the world’s zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, creating the largest biodiversity archive of its kind. Photo Ark is teaching audiences of all ages about our planet’s amazing biodiversity and fostering a real human connection to Earth’s animals. Featuring hundreds of images from the Photo Ark through large-scale projections, traditional mounted media, touch interactives, and sensor-driven interactives, the Animals of Earth experience tells this incredible story.
At its core, the innovation is structural. Unlike walk-through projection galleries that often prioritize spectacle over story, Animals of Earth is built upon a deliberate six-zone narrative journey. Visitors are guided through a carefully crafted emotional and intellectual arc. The journey begins with pure wonder in ‘Getting into Focus,’ where soundscapes and abstracted animal textures build anticipation before revealing a single, stunning creature. It then grounds visitors in the human story and the sheer scale of the initiative in ‘Joel’s Journey’ and the breathtaking, floor-to-ceiling media walls of ‘A World Worth Saving.’ The experience deepens with a behind-the-scenes look at the craft in ‘Getting the Shot’ and confronts the stark reality of the extinction crisis in the ‘Data Room.’ This narrative progression is crucial; it builds a foundation of empathy and understanding before pivoting to the most innovative part of the experience: a call to action around protecting endangered species.
The technological innovation serves this narrative purpose. The experience seamlessly blends large-scale projection, traditional museum displays, and sensor-driven interactivity. The peak of this integration occurs in the ‘Reasons to Care’ zone. Here, the floor itself becomes an interactive canvas where visitors’ steps trigger colorful, generative art, symbolizing their individual impact. This personal interaction culminates in a collective moment: when enough visitors stand on designated floor sensors together, they unlock a powerful video message from Joel Sartore about species that have been saved through human intervention. By making the narrative reveal dependent on collective action, the experience masterfully transforms a passive audience into an active, collaborative community, physically demonstrating the core message that we must work together to make a difference.
Finally, Animals of Earth innovates by melding closeness and empathy at a massive scale. Joel Sartore’s photographic method—treating every animal, from a tiger to a tiger beetle, with the same direct, eye-level respect on a neutral background—is the soul of the project. This experience amplifies that intimacy to an awe-inspiring degree. In the ‘Gallery of Gazes,’ visitors are confronted with portraits scaled to uniform sizes, forcing them to look a tiny frog in the eye with the same gravity as a grizzly bear. This simple, powerful curation technique, combined with the ‘Meet the Heroes’ interactive kiosks that match visitors with their "animal counterpart" and the conservationist caring for it, forges an undeniable personal connection.
The National Geographic Photo Ark: Animals of Earth is an innovation in purpose-driven design. It demonstrates how the tools of the attractions industry—breathtaking visuals, immersive sound, and cutting-edge interactivity—can be harnessed to create more than just a memorable visit. It creates a space for reflection, a catalyst for conversation, and a tangible pathway for audiences to become part of the solution. It is a new benchmark for how immersive experiences can serve a mission that matters.
Partners
- Moment Factory
- NeoPangea
More information about partners
Moment Factory - Animals of Earth is designed and created by the National Geographic Society and Moment Factory. A collaborative effort beginning at the initial concept phase, Moment Factory provided Concept, Schematic Design, and Detailed Design in conjunction with National Geographic.
NeoPangea - NeoPangea collaborated with National Geographic and Moment Factory to create three of the interactives within the exhibition, namely Meet the Heroes, Getting the Shot, and the Photo Tent
