Chorcorallium is an immersive VR installation exploring speculative reef ecologies and the entanglements of
collective imagination, artificial intelligence, and deep-sea regeneration. Set in a submerged world where
industrial debris is transformed into a coral reef, the project unfolds as a spatial narrative experienced
through a single-user VR headset and a surrounding multi-sensory installation.
The work was developed through a series of participatory workshops in Belfast, where community members
contributed voice recordings and fictional coral concepts. These inputs were reinterpreted using AI-driven
processes to generate the reef’s living structures and its layered sonic environment.
Lauren Moffatt creates hybrid media artworks that explore embodied perception, intimacy, and speculative worlds through digital and spatial media.
Drawing from real-world reef restoration strategies and artificial reef architecture, Chorcorallium presents an
ambiguous, post-human vision of regeneration in which the remnants of extractive infrastructure are slowly
repurposed by marine life. The project questions whether algorithmic tools and collaborative speculation can
help us metabolise environmental grief and imagine new forms of symbiosis between technology and
ecological systems.
The installation combines Unity-based VR, spatialised audio, and digital sculpture, and is designed to
function at multiple scales—from intimate headset viewing to large-scale exhibition with projection and
sound.
Credits
Artist: Lauren Moffatt (female, Australian)
VR development and effects design: Elle Fisher-Smith (bunnybreaker)
Ambient composition and sound design: Constantin Dubois Choulik (draisine)
Choirmaster: John D’Arcy
Voices and game assets: Belfast workshop participants
Project consulting: Pablo Vindel
Photography: David Zarzoso
Workshop documentation & editing: Cameron Clarke
www.deptique.net
S+T+ARTS4WII Residency Programme (EU Horizon), Golden Thread Gallery, Digital Arts Studios Belfast,
PraterDigital, TBA Academy, CISMA, Peninsula Kimera, Sonic Arts Research Centre (Queen’s University
Belfast)
Residency Support Network:
About Lauren Moffatt
Lauren Moffatt is an Australian visual artist working across immersive media, video installation, and mixedreality performance. She studied at the College of Fine Arts in Sydney, Université Paris VIII, and Le Fresnoy,
Studio National des Arts Contemporainsn. Her practice draws on cinematic languages, speculative fiction,
and embodied interfaces to create hybrid environments that explore intimacy, perception, and the thresholds
of presence. Her work has been exhibited at venues including the Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Le Centre
Pompidou, Haus am Lutzowplatz and SXSW, and featured in biennials and festivals across Europe. She has
held residencies at institutions such as FACT Liverpool, Q21 Vienna, and the Eufonic Festival. She is
currently based in Valencia, Spain.
Host / Region
BETA Festival & ADAPT/ Dublin, Ireland – Port of Belfast
Abstract
This residency sought to explore the challenges faced in developing and maintaining wind energy farms offshore and creating green infrastructures for the future of ports.
Keywords
immersive tech , deep tech, ai, wind energy, energy transition, systems thinking
Description of the regional challenge
As Northern Ireland’s largest port, Belfast Port serves as a linchpin for regional development, driving growth, investment, and opportunity across diverse sectors. From importing and exporting goods to the cruise industry and renewable energy initiatives, Belfast Port remains at the forefront of fostering prosperity and connectivity for the communities it serves. However, there is a need for infrastructural investment as the island of Ireland has limited deep-water ports, and these need to be upgraded to facilitate offshore wind construction.
What untapped potential lies within the intersections of art, technology, and sustainability, and how can we harness this synergy to redefine Belfast Port’s role in the 21st century? Can we reimagine Belfast Port as a living laboratory for experimentation and innovation, where artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and communities unite to co-create green solutions for a sustainable future? How might we leverage the power of storytelling, immersive experiences, and multimedia platforms to deepen public awareness and appreciation for the significance of Belfast Port and its impact on local and global economies?
How is the mission S+T+ARTS driven?
As Ireland accelerates its transition to sustainable energy, offshore wind emerges as a critical component of its renewable energy portfolio. However, the realisation of this vision hinges on the capacity and capabilities of our ports. With limited deep-water facilities currently available, infrastructural investment is urgently needed to upgrade existing ports and develop new ones. This challenge presents an opportunity to not only drive forward the renewable energy agenda embracing new technologies but also to revitalise and reinvent port communities and catalyse cultural agency and critical reflection to create mutual synergies.
Artists will have ongoing involvement with an interdisciplinary Local Expert Group (LEG), , that will interact with the artists to anchor the residency at local level and enrich the artists’ knowledge on the topic of the residency. Beta Festival will facilitate communication with the port of Belfast and arrange meetings with local partners including Digital Art Studios Belfast and the Maritime Belfast Trust.
About The Project – Chorcorallium
Chorcorallium is a simulation of a singing coral reef that is generated at the base of an offshore wind farm. Disused human inventions have populated the sea floor around the turbine bases, and the coral and other animals use this sculpture garden as an artificial reef on which to grow. This procedural environment is built collaboratively with sound and sculptural assets contributed by its audience offline during workshops and/or within the interactive experience.
Jury Statement
“The proposal and portfolio are very interesting and demonstrate that the artist can deliver. Builds in stakeholder engagement nicely. Explores the use of VR / XR and can also be educational.“
