2024

Immersive

Film

Oryza: Healing Ground - AR Sculpture

A Transmedia Sculptural Installation Blending African Histories with Cutting-Edge AI.

Who are the individuals whose lives weave together histories of the African diaspora, cultural resilience, and the evolution of identity? The Oryza installation invites you to explore an interactive quilt, where AR brings to life the stories etched into each unique design and motif.

In an experience that combines art, technology, and deep archival research, Oryza illuminates untold stories of migration, ancestral knowledge, and the impact of systemic bias, from the struggles of Black farmers to the influence of AI on cultural representation today.

Led by the creative vision of Ado Ato Interactive, a leading studio in immersive storytelling founded by artist, filmmaker, and technologist Tamara Shogaolu, Oryza draws from the symbolism of rice grains, a source of sustenance and heritage, to connect the global narrative threads of the African diaspora and the ways identity and survival shape our future.

As you interact with the quilt, listen and engage with stories of people whose legacies form a living archive. Through voices, visuals, and augmented content, Oryza deepens your understanding of a shared past and the paths forward, fostering connections between history, resilience, and cultural heritage in our modern world.

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Exhibited at:

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Gallery

Partners

Credits

Directed by

Tamara Shogaolu

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Produced by

Tamara Shogaolu

C. Fitz

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Senior Producer

Riyad Alnwii

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Assistant Producer

Lucas Castelo

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Production Coordinator

Joseph Sousa

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Development Producer

Collyn Stephens

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AI Developer

Daria Yudina

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AI Artists

Tamara Shogaolu

Lucas Castelo

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AI Artist Assistant

Maria Semenova

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Set Designer

Chika Shimizu

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Cinematographer

Collyn Stephens

Tamara Shogaolu

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Editor

Samantha Kahrar

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Researcher

Juliana Torres

Thomas Dresscher

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Sound Designer

Josh Allen

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Production Assistant

Ada Stecca

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Animation

Daria Yudina

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3D Animation Intern

Nathan Santos

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Production Intern

Maria Semenova

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Fabrication

The Set Company

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Accountant Supervisors

Andreea Lova

Almira Arayata

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Production Accountant

Agnes De Boer

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Executive Producer for Black Public Media

Lisa Osborne

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Producer for Black Public Media

Aja Quinn Evans

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Voice Over

Elinor T Vanderburg

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Special Thanks

Alexis and Son

Kimbal

Tre Wilson

LaGrand Elliott

Percy Mabry

Alonzo Miller

Carolyn Jones

Brother Andre

Julian Brown

Earnest Parks

Akua Page

Bobby WIlson

Jas Wade

Natalie Baszile

Savi Horne

Gustavo León

Johan van Langen

Alex Enzlin

Caspar Sonnen

Raul Balai

Our families

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This Project was made possible with support from the Sundance Institute | Stars Collective

Imagination Award.

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This program is a presentation of Black Public Media.

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Oryza is financially supported by the International Heritage Cooperation Program of the National Archives of the Netherlands.

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