Digital Jurassic Park

‘Ancient Seas’ is our latest video installation at Clearwell Caves in Gloucester, where fish that died out more than 350 million years ago are brought back to life. Two projections enable these monsters of the deep to swim through the underground world, projected onto the walls and into the water in the caves. The animations are based on the fossil remains that make up the Chrinoidal Limestone in which the caves were originally formed during the Carboniferous period.

Monsters of the Deep

Our latest installation brings the monsters of the ancient seas back to life with projection mapping at Clearwell Caves in the Forest of Dean. Animated prehistoric sharks and fish are projected into a pool of water and onto the cave walls, producing a ghostly presence that reminds visitors of the life that existed here some 200 million years ago. The installation shows fish such as the Janassa, which was like a modern Skate, and the huge Psammodus, an early shark which crushed it’s prey in its powerful jaws, the fossilised remains of which are found in the limestone of the cave walls. The dark environment of the caves is perfectly suited to projection, enabling us to use controlled lighting to create a strong atmosphere that fills the cavern and inspires the imagination.

Clearwell Caves
An underground pool is an ideal environment for a video installation at Clearwell Caves.

Clearwell’s natural pools and open, underground spaces, provide an ideal space for video projection.

Video installation at Clearwell Caves.

Scott Morris programming a pair of Brightsign media players for ‘Ancient Seas’ projection.

A prehistoric shark

An ancient Shark looms out of the darkness.