SUBTERRANEA | LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

Subterranea was born out of an ongoing exploration of vacant creature habitats that recur throughout Winter’s early works. By gently blending the fantastical into the real world, the sculptures carried an uncanny quality, sitting somewhere between imagined ecosystems and familiar forms. At its core, the project explores the quiet relationship between light, form, and perception.

The installation invited viewers into a softened state of awareness, privileging curiosity, sensory attunement, and a slower, more playful way of looking.

Conceived as an immersive spatial installation, Subterranea brought together sculptural forms and the contrast of darkness and light to create a fully realised, contemplative environment. Nestled at the heart of London Design Festival, the innovative installation was intentionally concealed within the wider show, requiring visitors to discover it rather than encounter it directly. Crossing the threshold, guests were transported into an ethereal, inward world designed to quiet the body and recalibrate perception.

Within the space, the sculptural works Lacuna and Globulas functioned as uncanny yet playful reimaginings of creature habitats, operating simultaneously as artworks and luminous forms.

Each sculptural piece was conceived as a micro habitat, a contained world inviting slow observation and quiet contemplation. Light animated surfaces from within, revealing layers, voids, and textures that subtly shifted as viewers moved through the space, reinforcing a sense of intimacy, discovery, and presence.

Presented as an immersive installation at London Design Festival, Subterranea reflects Winter’s approach to spatial storytelling, creating environments that are not simply viewed, but entered, felt, and remembered.

Photography: Marc Rogoff  |  Sponsored by Swarovski