Subterranean Elevator has been conceived by artist Di Mainstone, and developed with a team of inter-disciplinary specialists. The installation invites intrepid visitors to explore the inner worlds of soil and the subconscious mind. On entering a dark, elevator-shaped environment, they will feel a soft earth-like substance beneath their feet, where they can stand, sit, or nestle.  As the elevator commences its ‘descent’, subterranean tourists will experience mesmerising sounds and projected visuals, creating the sensation of sinking deep into the earth.

Mainstone has coined the term “Subnosis” to describe this hypnotic journey, in which surreal subterranean creatures flourish amongst fleeting thoughts, tickled by roots and intersected by neural pathways that lead us into an interior universe. In this place of collective contemplation, we are invited to remember our connection to all living and nonliving things here on our precious planet.

The artwork aims to deepen our understanding of biodiversity loss and engage with the emotional landscape of the climate emergency.

How to Experience Subterranean Elevator

Please allow for your eye to adjust to a darker space when entering the space, moving slowly and with caution.

Shoes are to be removed before entering the sand box.

If you are entering the sand box, please use the spaces below the benches to store belongings.

There are steps at the side of the sand box to enter and exit.

Children must be supervised at all times in the space and sandbox.

Do not throw sand.