Part of The Travels of Mariko Horo collection, The Travels of Mariko Horo: In the Opal Palace by Tamiko Thiel presents a captivating fusion of cultural and historical elements. In the Opal Palace immerses viewers in an underwater realm where two colossal Nio-inspired giants stand sentinel at the entrance of the Opal Palace, an imaginative reinterpretation of Venice's Palazzo Ducale. This machinima, crafted from Thiel's interactive VR installation The Travels of Mariko Horo, intertwines Japanese folklore, specifically the tale of Urashima Tarō, with Venetian grandeur. The palace is filled with a dynamic cloud of saints and angels, a digital particle system animation inspired by Tintoretto's Paradiso in the Doge’s Palace, harmoniously blending Eastern and Western artistic traditions.