Hailing from England, this green innovation draws inspiration from the world of elevators and promises to be a truly “unusual journey” into the purest and most poetic heart of Nature. The setting is Wirral, in northwest England. In this charming metropolitan borough, artist Mainstone has created the so-called “underground elevator”—an interactive art installation housed within the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum in Birkenhead. It seeks to explore in an innovative way the theme of terrestrial biodiversity loss due to the ongoing climate crisis.
The museum invites visitors to immerse themselves in this “hypnotic audiovisual experience,” developed by Mainstone and a team of interdisciplinary specialists. It allows one to delve into various internal worlds, connected to both the soil and the subconscious.
Inside this elevator-shaped installation, visitors will find a cozy space to stand, sit, or lie down on a material resembling grass. Mainstone describes the elevator’s hypnotic “descent” as “subnosi,” an experience where “surreal underground creatures thrive among fleeting thoughts, tickled by roots and intersected by neural pathways leading us into an internal universe.”
No contraindications or recommendations—this is an experience designed for the whole family, aiming to provide multiple levels of understanding, from children to adults.
The experience promises to be filled with soothing sounds and fascinating projected visuals, creating the sensation of sinking into the earth’s layers.
This attraction is located within the Williamson Art Gallery (Slatey Road, Birkenhead, Wirral) and will be open to visitors until December 20, 2025.
