Beneath the Surface

Beneath the Surface explores the mystery of the oceanic deep—a world that remains largely undiscovered.

Visitors step into a shifting underwater environment where the magical and the unknown unfold in layers. Scale transforms from microscopic to monumental as creatures drift through the darkness and light moves like ocean currents. Fleeting encounters reward curiosity, inviting audiences to pause, look deeper and discover what lies just below the surface.

Created by Creature Post in collaboration with Angus Muir and Peter Hobbs as a work for Darklight 2026, the installation combined three large-scale wall projections, three floor projections and a real time interactive floor experience where visitors could engage with a school of responsive jellyfish.

Darklight attracted nearly 20,000 visitors across the 10 day Auckland based festival and generated extensive social media coverage, demonstrating the power of immersive storytelling to create memorable shared experiences.