Created for Liverpool’s River of Light festival, themed The Science of Light, Within Water explored the quiet phenomenon of bioluminescence — the living light that moves through our oceans.

Installed within the Pier Head canal link, the work invited reflection on our relationship to water, light, and human touch. Beneath the surface, a network of programmable lights pulsed softly like plankton in motion, forming an illuminated current that drifted and glowed with shifting colour and rhythm. The choreography of light transformed the water into a living canvas — subtle, immersive, and constantly in flux.

At its centre, a sculptural human hand rose from the canal — both poetic and symbolic. Acting as a gesture of activation, the hand appeared to awaken the light below, serving as a reminder of the delicate dialogue between humanity and the natural world.

Developed in collaboration with Culture Liverpool and realised with our partners Propworks and Invisible Wind Factory, Within Water continued our exploration of large-scale public installations that merge technology, storytelling, and environment into a single immersive experience.