Kuchema is an immersive experience that explores the deep spiritual, cultural, and ecological significance of water through storytelling and emerging technologies, to preserve heritage and address the modern climate crisis.

The mythology of water has existed across global histories and cultures, from the sacred Ganges in India to the West African Mami Wata and the water deities of Greek mythology. It is a powerful life source and spiritual entity, under threat by pollution and climate change. This project is a call to reconnect with ancestral wisdom that historically guided us in living harmoniously with the environment.

The experience brings multiple viewers together in VR on Meta Quest headsets. They are immersed in a traditional water ceremony, set in the sacred Chirorodziva Cave in Zimbabwe. You encounter guidance from the ancestors through profound dialogues with wise elders, seamlessly woven into a spatialised binaural soundscape, and envisioned through volumetric-captured dance choreography, transporting you into the mystical realms beyond the water’s surface.  

Lead Artist

Chipo Mapondera is a Creative Technologist whose multidisciplinary immersive work connects the tangible and intangible cultures of her native Zimbabwe, and beyond. Winning an Innovate UK Award and nominations for AIXR and STARTS Africa awards. Exhibited internationally at National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Fakugesi, and Hypha Studios, Chipo has presented at the Leverhulme Centre (CFI) and Sussex Digital Humanities Lab, and is selected for CPH:LAB 2024/25. 

Collaborators
3D modelling: Joel Chandauka
Soundscape Design: Fungai Nengare

Request Access to the Kuchema project pitch deck: https://tinyurl.com/kuchema-deck-web