Stolen Friend

“Stolen Friend” is an immersive cross-platform experience about Hoa Hakananai’a, the Moai statue displayed at the British Museum. It educates people on the idea of decolonising the British Museum by exploring the story of Hoa Hakananai’a.

The storyline is non-linear by splitting the narrative structure into two with different endings based on the player’s decision to return the Moai to Easter Island or keep it at the Museum. It aims to trigger public discussion, by positioning the user as a character of half-British, half-Rapa Nui descent tasked with saving the spirit of Hoa Hakananai'a from the British Museum. 

These two AR and VR apps make up the immersive experience; a collaboration between Meghna Saji, Shujing Shen, and Neeti Kumar. While this version of the AR app was designed to be used in front of the Hoa Hakananai'a exhibit in the British Museum, it can be tried at home too, so download it to try it out!