OASIS Immersion and the genesis of an international network of immersive venues

July 28, 2025

Montreal, 2021. At a time when movie theaters are closing in the city, Denys Lavigne is taking up the challenge of opening a new kind of screening space: OASIS immersion, a cultural destination offering an experiential journey with three immersive galleries located in the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

With projections on all four walls and on the floor, these galleries transport viewers to the heart of the themes being addressed, immersing them in a universe of light and surround sound. Thanks to this new framework, producers of digital experiences can offer innovative, interactive and immersive content.

But OASIS immersion is not the only venue of its kind in the world. As part of NUMIX LAB 2024, the Immersive Centers Alliance (ICA) was formed to bring together venues sharing similar challenges, starting with the three founding members: OASIS Immersion (Quebec), Remastered (Netherlands) and Kunstkraftwerk (Germany). Over time, new players from all over the world will join the Alliance.

The ICA was in Montreal last spring for its first summit, and the meeting provided an opportunity for rich exchanges on the evolution of the immersive industry. What a great opportunity to chat with Denys Lavigne, President of OASIS immersion.

Denys Lavigne, co-founder and president of OASIS Immersion, two-time finalist at the Prix Numix Gala in 2025

Can you tell us about the genesis of OASIS immersion and the reasons behind its creation?

The OASIS immersion space was inaugurated in February 2021. Originally, the aim of the project was relatively simple: to harness the power of audio and visual immersion to do some good. We imagined a form of immersive magazine, offering the freedom to explore a wide variety of contemporary topics through the prism of immersion, with the aim of sparking new inner connections in visitors. The creation of OASIS immersion followed on from several years spent developing multimedia experiences for brands, cultural institutions and public places. The idea was to transpose this know-how into a format entirely dedicated to the general public, where emotion, curiosity and reflection could coexist in a stimulating and accessible sensory environment.

What are the ambitions behind the creation of the Immersive Centers Alliance (ICA), and why was it important to create such a network?

The immersion sector remains an emerging niche in the entertainment industry, one where best practices have yet to be defined, and where collaboration between sites would benefit from a better framework. In this sense, we hope to contribute to the sector’s longevity by encouraging exchanges between key players. There’s a great deal of effervescence and a rapidly evolving offer, and in this context we feel it’s imperative that the industry structures itself and implements strategic initiatives such as the formalization of a content and information-sharing market.

At the May 29 workshop, the question of the balance between economic model and artistic creativity was raised. Is there a risk of technology taking up too much space to the detriment of the artistic proposition? How do we strike the right balance?

From my perspective, it’s not so much a question of artistic vision versus technology, but of choosing the right experiences and content to keep the medium relevant to the public and generate the traffic required for the business context of this type of project. And the more the industry diversifies, the more consumer expectations evolve, and the more strategic this balance between business model and artistic vision becomes. We’re currently in a phase of continuous refinement of experiences to surprise visitors, and skilful use of IP or strong themes to stand out and stimulate demand. In my opinion, this is one of the most promising avenues.

Do you think that today’s creative studios need to systematically think of their projects as modular and exportable? Why or why not?

Yes, the current market for digital creativity is extremely effervescent, offering opportunities for collaboration and dissemination like never before. Developing projects that are scalable, exportable and multi-platform offers the best chances of success and optimized return on investment. The key is to make the right choices in terms of subject matter, treatment and targets. This last point is crucial. Analyzing potential markets and distribution channels, understanding traffic potential requirements and presenting the right content to the right partners are all decisive steps towards long-term production success.

In concrete terms, how will the ICA facilitate the co-production and sharing of works between immersive cinemas on an international scale? Can we imagine a kind of international circuit via the ICA?
Absolutely, and that’s one of the primary aims of the organization. Many immersive centers still bear the cost of producing their own content, and this is a significant burden for one or a few sites. Of course, there have been licensing collaborations for some time, but the establishment of a more formal market, encouraging both co-production and content exchange, will help generate better economies of scale for the industry.

What are the next steps or concrete actions planned by the ICA to strengthen links between studios and venues?

In the short term, our priority is to complete membership within the immersive centers and put in place an effective management structure for the organization. At the same time, we’ll be pursuing our exchanges with studios and industry stakeholders, notably at the second ICA Summit, to be held this October at Kunstkraftwerk in Leipzig, as part of the Bright Festival. As in Montreal, meetings with players in the immersive ecosystem will be an integral part of the program. Maintaining these regular exchanges, whether one-on-one or in groups, remains essential to ensure a form of synchronization between the creative and commercial objectives of the collaborations.

If you were to dream up the future of immersive experiences in 10 years’ time, what would they look like?

Ten years is an eternity in our industry. The pace of innovation, technological advances, cultural transformations and societal issues evolve so rapidly that it’s hard to predict exactly what the future holds. That said, I dream of a future where the immersive experience will have reached a high degree of narrative and sensory maturity. I see a medium that has refined its ability to transport visitors into rich, powerful universes deeply rooted in contemporary realities. A medium where immersive storytelling will no longer be a simple staging tool, but a genuine emotional language, capable of provoking wonder, reflection and human connection.

Entering an immersive universe becomes an experience that stimulates the senses, nourishes the mind and soothes the soul. A form of conscious escapade, almost therapeutic, that will enrich our perspectives, awaken our empathy and contribute to our collective well-being. Tomorrow’s immersive places will undoubtedly be more personalized, interactive and sustainable, integrating a more fluid relationship between the physical and digital worlds. But beyond the technology, it’s the medium’s ability to tell stories that transform us, whether on a small or large scale, that will ensure its longevity and relevance.