Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Oscar®-winning virtual reality installation CARNE y ARENA will debut in Omaha, Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Oscar®-winning virtual reality experience CARNE and ARENA (Virtually present, Physically invisible) explores the human condition of immigrants and refugees.

CARNE and ARENA will be presented for the first time in Nebraska by KANEKO, in partnership with Vic Gutman & Associates, Emerson Collective, PHI Studio, Legendary Entertainment and Fondazione Prada. This immersive VR experience chronicling the harrowing journey of refugees from Central America and Mexico is set to open on June 9, 2022 at KANEKO Galleries after numerous sold-out tours in the United States and abroad.

Originally shown at the 70th Cannes Film Festival in 2017, CARNE and ARENA was the first VR experience ever chosen as part of the festival’s official selection. Created with frequent collaborator and three-time Academy Award®-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, CARNE and ARENA uses state-of-the-art immersive technology to create a multi-narrative light space with human characters and explores the human condition of refugees and immigrants on their journey.

The 20-minute single-player experience is based on real stories. Called by critics a “must-see” and a “genius” and described by attendees as “life-changing” and “powerful,” CARNE and ARENA blurs the lines between subject and viewer as individuals walk through a vast space and fully experience a fragment of the refugee’s personal journeys.

After its premiere in 2017, five-time Oscar-winning director Iñárritu received a special Oscar® for CARNE and ARENA by the Academy “in recognition of a visionary and powerful experience in storytelling”.

CARNE and ARENA is produced by PHI Studio, Emerson Collective and Legendary Entertainment in collaboration with Fondazione Prada.

In addition, the following Omaha institutions also come together to serve as community partners for CARNE and ARENA, including Vic Gutman & Associates; UN: Goldstein Center for Human Rights; UN: Bureau of Latin/Latin American Studies; Immigrant Legal Center; UN: Center for Afghanistan Studies; the Holland Children’s Institute and the Holland Children’s Movement; Afro-Omaha; International Council for Refugees and Immigrants (ICR) Elevate Omaha; Completely CHILDREN; Inclusive communities; and the Rose Theatre.

Virtual and live programming will take place throughout CARNE and ARENAwith additional community partners showcasing content and events related to their exhibitions and programs.

Advance reservations for timed tickets are on sale now at thekaneko.org/programs/cya.

Recognition of the KANEKO partnership

KANEKO would like to recognize our partner Vic Gutman & Associates for the fundraising efforts crucial to the success of this project.

Sponsorship acknowledgment

We would also like to thank the Sherwood Foundation and the Holland Foundation for making this incredible experience in Omaha possible.

Quotes from partners and supporters

“A blend of many artistic disciplines, cutting-edge technology and community engagement, CARNE y ARENA is a massive collaboration of creatives from multiple countries and diverse backgrounds to create an inspiring experience that inherently translates into a forum for our community to have a thoughtful conversation and create lasting partnerships CARNE y ARENA is a perfect experience for KANEKO.”

– Stephan Grot, Executive Director, KANEKO

“PHI’s mission has always been to provide a platform for artists and to encourage dialogue with the public around contemporary issues that impact our collective existence. the CARNE and ARENA the experience brings to light a human situation that concerns us all. By literally walking in the footsteps of these migrants and refugees, we have no choice but to become aware of a reality that may seem distant. That’s why, after discovering this striking work when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and later in Washington, DC, we set out to adapt the installation so that it could move from city to city. the other and be experienced by as many people as possible. .”

– Phoebe Greenberg, Founder and CCO, PHI

“The power of CARNE y ARENA is the incredible experience of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, creating empathy and discovering that there is more to a story than just what you read in the news Our partnership with the KANEKO will give Nebraskans the opportunity to feel and see the experience, provide space for dialogue, and expand awareness of the immigration experience.

– Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder and President, Emerson Collective

“During the realization of this project, I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing many Mexican and Central American refugees. Their life stories haunted me, so I invited some of them to collaborate with me on the project. My intention was to experiment with VR technology to explore the human condition with the aim of breaking the dictatorship of the frame – in which things are simply observed – and claiming the space to allow the visitor to have a direct experience by walking in immigrants. feet, under their skin and in their hearts.

– Alejandro G. Iñárritu, director

For more information, please visit https://thekaneko.org/programs/cya/. For media inquiries, please contact Erin Sorensen on behalf of KANEKO at 402-578-2000 (cell) or [email protected] or Christopher Halbkat at 402-341-3800 (office) or [email protected]