Two to tango

‘Two to tango’ was a chapter within The Architecture of Staged Realities, a major show at Het Nieuwe Instituut curated by Saskia van Stein in 2021. The show examined the ongoing influence of Walt Disney’s films and thinking on the built environment and the discourse of design. ‘Two to tango’ focused on The Walt Disney Company’s cruise ship subsidiary, Disney Cruise Line, and the private island resort Disney built in The Bahamas, Castaway Cay, previously researched as part of Degenerate Ark.

The exhibited research gave an overview of the company’s cruise operations through a number of panels that made use of remotely sensed data and maritime administrative data. These panels were complemented by artefacts plucked from aboard the cruise ships, including souvenirs, postcards, menus, and brochures. The research was also exhibited through a playable archive developed using Unreal Engine, titled A vicarious tour.