Project Resurrection is a multi-sited, interdisciplinary work that bridges ecological intervention, large-scale sculpture, and virtual storytelling. Conceived and directed by Karin Janssen, the project comprises a series of monumental sculptures, both physical and in virtual reality, that function as a base for a coral ecosystem and vessels for storytelling. Designed in virtual reality and realized in collaboration with Balinese stone carvers, Janssen carved the sculptures in reinforced concrete and coated them with calcium carbonate to encourage coral colonization. Partnering with marine biologists and coral specialists, Janssen designed the forms not only for their visual effect but as functional habitats for marine life. Community-based coral planting events, led by local diving volunteers, will transform the work into the beginning of a coral reef system.
The pilot, The Guardian Beneath, fuses the symbolic lineage of the dragon, at once benevolent guardian and destructive force, with the contemporary iconography of the airplane. This hybrid figure becomes a site of tension and ambivalence: in Eastern traditions, the dragon is a bringer of prosperity and power, while in Western imaginaries it often signals threat or chaos. The airplane, likewise, embodies progress and freedom but is inseparably tied to environmental degradation. Submerged in the ocean off the coast of Taiwan, The Guardian Beneath is designed to vanish beneath a living crust of coral and marine flora, its erasure not an end, but a gesture toward renewal. The nature absorbing the work is the goal, and it disappearing is success.
The larger vision of Project Resurrection unfolds as a triptych:
The Land Reef: A monumental sculptural form designed to be slowly overtaken by plants.
The Underwater Reef: A structural twin to the Land Reef, based on the ocean floor as a coral substrate and marine sanctuary.
The Virtual Reality Reef: An immersive digital journey connecting the land and underwater reefs. This VR movie guides viewers on a journey through climate change psychology, through anxiety, denial, and transformation, ultimately pointing toward hope, agency, and collective ecological care. The design incorporates Taiwanese mythologies such as the Wind Changing Turtle and the Bridge of Magpies, folk narratives reimagined as speculative tools for climate repair.
Informed by research in cognitive science and behavioral psychology, Project Resurrection eschews the rhetoric of doom in favor of affective engagement. By shifting the focal point of environmental loss away from the human and toward coral ecosystems, the project activates care rather than defensiveness. Moments of awe, pride, and connection are designed into the viewing and participatory experience, promoting what the Mindworks Lab calls “transformational climate narratives.” Public workshops, community coral planting, and site-specific engagement are not peripheral but embedded within the artwork’s conceptual framework, positioning the work not only as representation, but as intervention.
Concept, Design & Project Director Karin Janssen
Sponsored by Torder Environmental Foundation, NIRAS
In Partnership With Eco Angels Environmental Conservation Association
Supported by New Taipei City Government, Fisheries and Fishing Port Affairs Management Office
Advised by National Museum of Marine Science and Technology
Stone Carving Support Team Jun Prana, Nyoman Witantra, Gede Mahardika
Eco Angels Team Elaine Chen, Chien-Hwa Huang, Kennets Peng, Peggy Chen, Yvonne Ho, Jeff Li, Sheena Chang
Transport and Logistics Antony Lee, Yao Ying International, Adhi Darma Cargo
Marine Engineering and Installation Specialist Danny Hong, NIRAS
Installation Team Daniel Mei, Excellent Shipping Agencies
Diving Team Nomad Diving, Tom Janssen-Manning
VR environment and camera Scan & Eggs
VR movie music by Dave Lindsay
Videography Ryan Wu, Joakim Ollikainen, Photokrono x IfOnly Studio
Photography Kalen Sheng, Joakim Ollikainen
Project Assistants Jyue Yin Shih, Ema Szuhui Huang, Ruby Chen, Wenjin Chen
Translators Sandy Lee, Linda Lin-Jhu Wang, Benson Pei-Chen Liu, Cheryl Tzu-Hsuan Wang, Shu-Yu Chang, Wan-Yen Lee, Alan Yu-Lun Pai
Special Thanks Tom Janssen-Manning, Charlie Janssen-Manning
For the best VR experience, watch in full screen using the YouTube app on your phone, laptop, or VR headset. Set quality to the highest (via the settings icon) and use your fingers or mouse to explore the view. Prefer 2D? Watch it here.