The promise of a virtual journey has always been implicit in the narratives of cosmoramas. The Virtual Reality experience Cosmorama. The Great Virtual Show evokes that long-standing aspiration, while also enabling the recreation of one of the most renowned cosmoramas in Lisbon: the Grand Optical Gallery by the Austrian Thomas Karl Andorfer. Originally, this was a ‘physically augmented Virtual Reality experience’, prepared for a specific space of the Portuguese Cinematheque. The physical space of the exhibition room was modelled to enhance the realism of the virtual experience. Visitors could not only see, but also touch the walls and objects around them.
In the first part of this virtual experience, visitors are invited to look through six thematically organised lenses and select different cosmoramic scenes from a menu. The illusion of optical depth in these virtual lenses has been recreated using ‘depth maps’ generated by artificial intelligence algorithms.
Next, visitors can interact with a map that reveals the routes taken by the main cosmorama showmen who travelled across the Iberian Peninsula. Before concluding the experience, they are invited to observe and touch a miniature model of the Belém Tower—a typical feature of historical cosmoramas—and to approach a window overlooking one of Lisbon’s squares, where they can witness the arrival of the royal family on a visit to the cosmorama.
The following making-of film offers a comprehensive look at the interdisciplinary research and creative process that culminated in this innovative virtual journey. It explores the historical context of cosmoramas, the research that informed the project, and the key technical innovations behind its development.
For more information, visit the website of the research project Curiositas (https://curiositas.ulusofona.pt) or download the ebook that accompanied the 2025 exhibition in Lisbon.