Fathom Immersive Art Museum Portal to the Deep
Experiential Marketing
Illuminating downtown Portland with movement, community, and connection
Goodbeast created “Portal to the Deep,” a new underwater-themed immersive experience for Portland Winter Light Festival and FATHOM, an immersive art museum in downtown Portland. “Portal to the Deep” is an all-ages interactive game where players become virtual sea creatures and move their bodies to navigate an aquatic world brought to life by digital projection.
Set up and execution of Portal to the Deep at Fathom in downtown Portland.
After success in 2023 with “Portal to the Stars,” we were eager to return to the 2024 Portland Winter Light Festival with a new immersive experience to light up the city as crowds returned downtown. This year’s theme was “Glowing Under Pressure,” and we were inspired to dive in.
Portland Winter Light Festival aims to show community spirit throughout downtown Portland, and had over 274,000 attendees in 2024. With thresholds and passages on our minds, we decided to plunge below the surface to create another portal, this time to the depths of the ocean. “Portal to the Deep” is an all-ages interactive game where players become virtual sea creatures and move their bodies to navigate an aquatic world brought to life by digital projection.
We hosted our immersive art experience for the first time in Waechter Architecture’s sleek and stylish pocket park during the festival. The game ran from the computer to the projector, while the immersive art debuted on a giant 13.5 ft. screen. There was a camera that tracked movements to keep the players swimming during the game.
Players started by choosing one of four nautiluses as their player, then moved their bodies to dodge bombs and collect stars for points. The arm-waving, vibrant animations, and silly movements brought sounds of laughter to the courtyard that could be heard from the street. Festival-goers lined up to play, and for two weekends, could immerse themselves in an underwater adventure that brought cheer and inspiration to Portland.
Portal to the Deep installations at FATHOM and Portland Winter Light Festival.
After the 2024 Portland Winter Light Festival, “Portal to the Deep” was invited for a residency at FATHOM, an underwater-themed interactive art exhibit in downtown Portland. The rest of the pop-up, run by creative co-op Roboto Octopodo, is decorated with a funky disco ball clam to lounge in, captivating sea-themed light displays, and a giant shipwreck in the middle of the space. “Portal to the Deep” added a new dimension to FATHOM, and will stay for play until Fall 2024.
This adventure blurs the boundaries between physical and digital worlds to bring people together in a fun and engaging way, fostering human connection through technology. However, this game contributes to something bigger than just fun. In a post-pandemic Portland, Portland Winter Light Festival and FATHOM both gave Portlanders an opportunity to brighten their city and create positive change for the future of Portland through community, connection, and movement.
2024 Portland Winter Light Festival attendees enjoy Playing Portal to the Deep in downtown Portland.
Portal to the Deep, an interactive video game, stays at Waechter Architecture's pocket park in downtown Portland for the 2024 Portland Winter Light Festival.