SUBMERGENCE SQUIDSOUP

We welcome you to play, explore and experience Submergence, an immersive installation by Squidsoup
A group of people standing in a dark room within Submergence, an immersive light installation with thousands of individual bubs omitting white light and a purple-blue glow.
Submergence is an immersive light installation by Squidsoup. Creative team: Anthony Rowe, Liam Birtles, Gareth Bushell, Chris Bennewith and Oliver Bown. Photo credit: Paul Blakemore.
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    The Levinsky Gallery, Roland Levinsky Building

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We welcome you to play, explore and experience Submergence, an immersive installation by Squidsoup.

Submergence places us within a series of abstracted scenes and energy fields. Dynamic, three-dimensional paintings in light and sound draw us in, surround us and immerse us in a roiling ocean of illumination. The visions are ephemeral, liminal, akin to lucid dreams. We can see through them, walk through them, touch them.
The work presents itself as a physical cube of virtual presence and energy placed in our physical world; something other and beguiling, there but not there. There are five distinct movements, each with its own ambience and ecosystem of dynamic forces, played in an ascending sequence of intensity and culminating in an ecstatic crescendo.
"Submergence transforms the space it inhabits becoming a beacon, a focal point, altering the space it occupies yet not over writing it. It illuminates hidden corners, shifts, alters perspective and feel – it is in constant dialogue with its location. It is also in dialogue with those who visit the space, providing a social focus, a bridge to a shared experience that sparks conversation, contemplation, reflection and discussion." – Squidsoup
Submergence has been shown in over 70 spaces, events and festivals around the world. In the South West, Squidsoup has presented artworks as part of the Beyond Submergence exhibition in Bristol (2023), Heligan Night Garden (2024) and Dazzle (2025). This is the first time Submergence has been shown in Plymouth. Don’t miss your chance to experience it for yourself at The Levinsky Gallery this summer.
Please note this exhibition contains flashing and strobe lighting.
Image credit: Submergence is an immersive light installation by Squidsoup. Creative team: Anthony Rowe, Liam Birtles, Gareth Bushell, Chris Bennewith and Oliver Bown.

Exhibition opening times

Date: Saturday 28 June – Saturday 9 August 2025
Time: Tuesday–Friday 10:00–16:00, Saturday 12:00–16:00. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Venue: The Levinsky Gallery, Roland Levinsky Building
Ticket information: Free admission, no booking required

Quiet Hours

10:00–11:00 Tuesday–Friday
12:00–13:00 Saturday
The first hour of the day is Quiet Hour, every day the gallery is open. During this time:
  • Music is played at a lower volume.
  • Capacity is reduced to ten people.
  • Ear defenders are available to borrow.
If you visit during Quiet Hour, please switch your phone to silent and keep conversations to a low level while you explore the exhibition.

Container Cafe

The Container Cafe will be open for drinks, cakes and light bites Monday–Friday 08:30–16:00, on the ground floor of the Roland Levinsky Building.
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Bring your group or activity to Submergence.

We welcome community groups, students, creatives and anyone who wants to meet somewhere out of the ordinary to bring your group or activity to The Levinsky Gallery.
Whatever your reason to gather – to play, to learn, to dance, to knit – The Levinsky Gallery offers a unique environment to inspire creativity and experience Submergence together.
There is no hire fee and no application form, simply contact thebridge@plymouth.ac.uk to discuss your idea.
Questions about access and inclusion? Please get in touch to find out how we can tailor your experience.
 

Creating immersive environments for people with autism

While Submergence was designed as a playful experience, it has brought unexpected benefits for neurodiverse audiences who have reported feeling calmer, more focused and more engaged.
Dr Anthony Rowe from Squidsoup and Professor Chris Bennewith, associate member of Squidsoup and Executive Dean of the Faulty of Arts, Humanities and Business at the University of Plymouth, are currently collaborating on an Arts & Humanities Research Council Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) funded project to explore whether immersive environments could be used to help enhance autistic people’s health and wellbeing.
The project is also exploring the benefits of using Al to personalise the experience by reacting to a user's actions and responses as an autonomous agent in the artwork, acknowledging the very diverse nature of autistic people.
The collaboration between the University of Plymouth and Squidsoup also seeks to create a prototype for how creative SMEs can accelerate their R&D by utilising the University's research expertise to experiment and innovate with new concepts or contexts.

We observed the ability for these spaces to create conversations that may have been difficult in other contexts. There was a fascinating instance of a patient suffering from an eating disorder who wouldn’t talk to her doctor until they were both sat inside the Submergence grid together. Once inside the grid, she opened up about her struggles and began to discuss what was going on with her doctor.

Chris BennewithProfessor Chris Bennewith
Executive Dean

  • AHRC Impact Acceleration Account
  • Collaborate with the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business
  • Digital Futures Lab
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    About Squidsoup

    Pioneers in the use of light, sound and technology, Squidsoup’s artworks combine physical and dynamic digital spaces with novel and intuitive forms of interaction to produce responsive and beguiling environments.
    Their work has been seen by millions of people across the globe since 1997 in galleries, museums and live events, festivals and exhibitions. Recent exhibitions and events include: Vivid Sydney (AUS, 2023), London’s Alexandra Palace (2019, 2023), International Centre for Light Art (DE, 2022–23) Burning Man Festival (USA, 2018, 2019), Canary Wharf (UK, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023), Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, (CA, USA, 2021–22), Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (USA, 2017, 2019), Noor Riyadh (KSA, 2021), Ars Pedregal (MEX, 2019), Salisbury and Gloucester Cathedrals (2015, 2018, 2020), and a permanent exhibition in Houston (USA).
    Their key work Submergence has been exhibited over 100 times on six continents.
    Squidsoup actively seek new avenues and audiences for their work, beyond conventional art spaces: they work in live events, winter light festivals, commercial, healthcare and other types of spaces. Their approach is usually the same: their work is a response to, and part of a real-time process of dialogue and engagement with, the spaces and audiences around it.
    a woman and young child exploring 'submergence' an immersive light installation by squidsoup. Submergence, Squidsoup
    Squidsoup is an open group of collaborators whose main members are:
    Anthony Rowe – Founder, Creative Director
    Liam Birtles – Creative Director
    Dan Pearson – Production Manager
    Hannah Brady – Creative Producer
    Rory-Thomas Lawton – Content Creation
    Michelle Leck – Production
    George Baker – Production
    Barli Slavin – Studio Manager
     

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    Andy Cluer and Mary Costello talking in the Levinsky Gallery

    Contact the arts and culture programme team

    Roland Levinsky Building, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA

    The Levinsky Gallery, Tuesday–Friday 10:00–16:00, Saturday 12:00–16:00. Closed Mondays, Sundays and bank holidays

    Event photography and video

    Please be aware that some of the University of Plymouth's public events (both online and offline) may be attended by University staff, photographers and videographers, for capturing content to be used in University online and offline marketing and promotional materials, for example webpages, brochures or leaflets. If you, or a member of your group, do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please let a member of staff know.