'The Space Below' is a unique take on the pressing issue of underwater sound pollution, a problem that is little known but effects all marine life.

‘..a space in which you can and will reconnect through audio and shared collective listening – to the invisible, unhearable and distant issues that are impacting ocean habitats across the world…’ Kay Watson on The Space Below, Digital Curator Serpentine Galleries

Every creature in the ocean can hear: The smallest larva listens to the reef to find where to settle, while the Blue Whale draws an acoustic map to navigate its way. Hearing is fundamental to communication, breeding, feeding and ultimately survival. But as humankind increasingly continues to explore and exploit the underwater world, so our sounds pollute and raise levels of noise to extreme levels.

Transporting audiences into a space where ears rule over eyes ‘The Space Below’ is a multi-speaker sound installation that explores the global issue of underwater acoustic pollution as an underground walk-through experience.

Created from underwater sound recordings that have been made by scientists all around the world, the installation features both natural sounds made by a wide range of sea creatures as well as human-made sounds of boats, sonar, seismic surveys and acoustic deterrent devices.

This unique collaboration between two award-winning artists brings together Emma’s 18 years’ experience of working underwater with Lee’s long exploration of working with sound and its relationship to architectural space. Both have a keen interest in science and ecology and have been working with scientists and experts in the field to learn about the issues and impacts of underwater sound pollution in order to develop the artwork. They are passionate about raising awareness of this urgent issue, which has spread to affect all corners of the world.

‘The Space Below' is available for touring, please get in touch with Laura at studio@emmacritchley.com for more details.

“I loved the exhibition and thought the experience of walking through the tunnels was amazing. It really brought home the amazing sounds that inhabit the underwater world. As a space it worked brilliantly, knowing you were below the Thames really added to the feeling. …It was remarkable how immersed you became walking through the tunnel moving through the world’s oceans experiencing both natural and human produced sounds. In particular I loved how the low tonal notes vibrated your body helping people experience how many marine animals perceive these noises.”

Dr Iain Staniland, Wildlife Ecologist, British Antarctic Survey

”An incredibly innovative and effective way to communicate the concepts of underwater sound and underwater sound pollution to the general public. I cannot think of a better way to experience ocean soundscapes (beyond actually going into the ocean) than to be immersed in underwater sounds under water (beneath the Thames). The inspired choice of such a unique  space creates an 'audio-visceral' event that allows the audience to experience the sounds not just through their ears but right into their bones. As someone who spends much of their time studying underwater sounds and trying to communicate to the public the impact of soundscape changes on the natural environment, I have been thrilled by Emma and Lee's clever marriage of art and science in a way that is evocative, experiential and immediate.”

Dr Kate Stafford, Senior Principal Oceanographer, Affiliate Associate Professor Oceonography, University of Washington

The Space Below Events

The Space Below at Greenwich Foot Tunnel
Emma Critchley & Lee Berwick

Saturday 7th–Sunday 15th March 2020, 11am–7pm, Free

Part of the National Maritime Museum's Our Ocean: Our Planet Season

The Space Below could be experienced beneath the waters of the River Thames in an installation that spanned the entire length of the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.

This event has now passed.

Tunnel Walk Through and Q&A with the artists

Convening at National Maritime Museum ‘Propeller Space’-
Saturday 7th March, 11am and 2pm
Saturday 14th March, 11am and 2pm

This event has now passed.

Lee Berwick and Emma Critchley in conversation with Dr Brandon Southall, leading expert in the effects of underwater acoustic pollution.

POSTPONED!: This event has been postponed, and will be rescheduled later in the year.

National Maritime Museum Lecture Theatre
- RESCHEDULED FOR LATER IN THE YEAR -

With special thinks to Ian Thompson, Matt Mapleston, Kester Squires, Rob Olins and MTArts Agency

About the artists

Emma Critchley

Emma Critchley is an artist who uses a combination of photography, film, sound and installation to continually explore the human relationship with the underwater environment as a political, philosophical and environmental space. Her work has been shown extensively nationally and internationally in galleries and institutions including The Australian Centre of Photography, the ICA Singapore, The National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Academy, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Tate St Ives.

In 2019 she completed a short film; ‘Common Heritage’ about the imminent threat of deep-sea mining for rare earth minerals, funded by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation. For this she worked with experts in deep sea ecology and law at the National Oceanography Centre and Universities of Plymouth & Southampton. In 2019, Emma was the winner of the EARTH WATER SKY residency programme with Science Gallery Venice, which she has been working on throughout 2019-2020 and will culminate in an exhibition during the Venice Architecture Biennale in the Autumn of 2020.

Lee Berwick

Currently Lee is interested in space, energy and the physicality of sound. His work endlessly pushes boundaries and has been shown in London’s Hayward Gallery, The ICA, Tate modern and many other venues around the world. He has had a BBC program made about his work and has spoken at the RA in London. Recent UK installations include the B-Side Multi media arts festival, Sonic Waterloo festival and Viewpoints festivals, he has recently been lead artist in an ACE funded project which delivered a string of installations, workshops, and performances featuring international performers at a large cave network in the Forest of Dean (2018).

Lee is part of the ‘Inner Ear’ performance/sound art collective who tour their site-specific performances to a range of venues and are the organizing body running and owning ‘The Tank’ an old oil storage vessel in northern Sweden which has a 24second reverb and is used as an arts venue.

Photography ©Jessica Moyes