The World of Wild Love Stories

On Behalf of	Görlitz – Zgorzelec Nature Reserve and Wildlife Park
Period	2025-2026

Educational exhibits
Scenography
Implementation
Gamedesign
Marketing

For the Görlitz–Zgorzelec Nature Reserve, we are developing an interactive, multimedia permanent exhibition on the love lives of animals. We are basing our work on the book “The Love Lives of Animals” and translating its content, illustrations and narrative style into a spatial experience.

A photo of one of the exhibition buildings from the outside. It is a small wooden house. On the left-hand side of the outer wall is a bench, above which are mounted two wooden hearts and two wooden camels.

The Love Lifes of Animals

Task and Approach

The Görlitz–Zgorzelec Nature and Wildlife Park aims to explore the topic of species conservation from a different perspective through a new permanent exhibition, focusing on love, partnership and family. We have been entrusted with the concept, exhibition design and scenographic implementation. In addition, we are handling the communications and developing several interactive games for the exhibition.

The exhibition is based on the book “The Love Lives of Animals” by Katharina von der Gathen and Anke Kuhl. In designing and staging the exhibition, we have drawn inspiration from the book’s content, illustrations and narrative style. The exhibition is spread across several rooms and outdoor areas of the zoo, so that visitors on a tour repeatedly alternate between the exhibition and the living animal world.

Die Vermittlungsstation "Schau mich an". Mehrere Klappen sind zu erkennen. Von rechts kommt eine Hand ins Bild, die eine Klappe rechts hochzieht. Es erscheint die Illustration eines blauen Froschs.

An educational exhibit on the topic of birth. An illustration of a kangaroo can be seen. It is leaning down towards its pouch, which contains a baby kangaroo.

A display case in the shape of a large pot stands on a plinth. The lid is open. A chicken can be seen on the lid, with the words ‘Food for the bear’ written above it. Inside the pot, beneath a pane of glass, a replica of a steak can be seen.

A wall of pictures featuring lots of different picture frames. The frames depict various families of animals. On the right it says ‘Colourful Family Life’.

Colour Schemes

Our Approach:

We translate the illustrations and narrative styles from the book into our own visual language, which serves as a recurring theme throughout the entire exhibition. Visitors follow the ‘Path of Love’ and the ‘Path of Species Conservation’ through the animal kingdom, exploring the three main themes of courtship, mating and family. Each theme is given its own room with a bespoke colour scheme and atmosphere. Organic lines running through the entire exhibition connect the rooms and establish relationships between them. Large stelae serve as a guidance system for visitors. A total of 25 educational exhibits are created, ten of which are designed to incorporate digital and multimedia elements. We are also developing merchandise.

In implementing the project, we are relying on the tried-and-tested combination of analogue and digital content, and are paying particular attention to the interactivity of the individual stations. As a result, almost all stations feature interactive elements.

A bench stands in front of a hedge. A large red heart can be seen on the backrest; on the right-hand side is an illustration of a standing stork, whilst on the left a stork is flying towards it, forming part of the heart.

A photograph of an educational exhibit on the theme of birth and hatching.

A photo of a media station where users’ knowledge is tested via a quiz. A hand can be seen on the left of the picture, pressing the display.

Interaction and Experience

Creative implementation

Interactive quiz formats allow visitors to test their knowledge once again, and for the youngest visitors there is a digital colouring game. We are also creating a gift display case, additional signage throughout the park, and several benches featuring hearts, which will be placed along the path. Alongside a family photo wall, there is also a wallpaper featuring a ‘Gay Parade’, which explores homosexuality in the animal kingdom. At other stations, visitors can engage their senses and, for example, smell animal pheromones. In the Genitalia Cabinet, they learn about the various animal genitalia.

Much of the content is modular in design and can therefore be easily swapped out by the client. This allows the exhibition to be updated over several years, ensuring it remains engaging for visitors. Both digital content – such as animated films – and analogue content – such as sliding puzzles – can be swapped out.

Photo of an interactive educational exhibit. A hand on the left is turning a wheel attached to the wall on the right.

Photo of the genitalia collection. The colours are all very reddish.

A rotating element on one of the exchange stations is turned by hand. On the reverse side, there is an illustration of two monkeys kissing. On the side facing right, it reads ‘Always ready. Bonobos’.

In collaboration with Studio BARBAR, a number of animated films have been produced on the theme of mating and birth among various animals.

Games

Creative implementation

We are developing and producing the game 'Wild Fighters', which, modelled on an intuitive slot machine from the 1990s, gives visitors the chance to step into the shoes of different animal species and battle it out against one another. At the 'Love-O-Mat', visitors can take a personality test to find out who their animal love match might be. We are also developing the 'Love Dancers' Game, in which visitors can use Kinect technology to mimic animal courtship dances and experience them for themselves. In addition, we are creating several video stations that bring the book’s illustrations to life in short films.

Photo of the ‘Wild Fighters’ arcade machine. The machine is pink and red and is reminiscent of a 90s arcade machine with brightly coloured buttons and joysticks.

A hand turns a rotating part at one of the stations.

Photo of an educational exhibit. On the right is an illustration of two giraffes mating. Above it reads ‘A wild act’. To the left of this is a video station where visitors can colour in.

Durability in
continuous operation

Special features and challenges

One of the challenges was to transform the static illustrations into animations without losing their charm. Furthermore, as part of the permanent exhibition, the interactive stations are exposed to long-term, continuous use with high visitor numbers, as well as fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels outdoors. We therefore opted for particularly robust and weather-resistant materials.

All interactive stations and digital applications are also available in German, English and Polish to foster a cross-border visitor experience. Another challenge was communicating sensitive content. We convey this openly and scientifically accurately, whilst at the same time creating an atmosphere that encourages curiosity, wonder and conversation.

Photo of the educational exhibit ‘Sex as a Barter Transaction’. On the right is a display case with windows allowing a view inside and information texts on it.

Photo of the information board entitled ‘Mating Drive’. Here, once again, is the illustration of the two monkeys kissing. To the right of it, on the wall, is an illustration of two camels mating.

Imprint

Animation: BARBAR – Studio für Illustration & Animation
Consultancy & Supply of Media Technology: bss Bürosysteme Sachsen GmbH
Graphic Design & Station Construction: URBAN & URBAN Werbe- und Projektgesellschaft mbH
Lightning: VJU: Lighting
Metalwork: Stahl- und Metallbau Weiner GmbH
Furniture Making: Andreas Patza
Station Construction: Fine GmbH Leipzig
Station Construction: Schulmeister Werbetechnik GmbH & Co. KG
Implementation Landing Page: Tobias Möritz
Implementation Daning Game: WEZIT GmbH