PICA Unveils Groundbreaking Immersive Exhibition Under Waters at Perth Festival 2026
Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) has launched a revolutionary immersive exhibition titled Under Waters, created by acclaimed Wiradjuri-Scottish digital artist April Phillips as part of Perth Festival 2026. This pioneering work represents the inaugural commission of PICA's new boorda yeyi program, meaning "future now" in Whadjuk Noongar language, signaling a bold step forward for Australia's contemporary arts scene.
A Visionary Digital Artist Leading Australia's Immersive Art Movement
April Phillips, a Wiradjuri-Scottish woman of the Galari/Kalari peoples, brings a unique perspective to digital art creation. "This is the art medium that is really sitting in the now," Phillips explains, reflecting on the global development of digital art forms. "When I look at what's happening globally, I feel like there's a lot of really interesting and innovative things happening. However, in Australia, I feel like we are kind of, maybe, just that one step behind."
Phillips sees her commission as both a privilege and a responsibility. "Being awarded the inaugural commission is a huge privilege and an absolute responsibility, because we are going to be setting the tone and the standard for this commission," she shares. "It's also about explaining and exploring what immersive art truly means. The term can be used in an offhand way when something isn't really immersive, so it's about 'How do we define what immersive is for audiences?'"
Transporting Audiences to Earth's Speculative Past
Under Waters offers visitors an extraordinary journey to a magical speculative past, imagining Earth approximately 500 million years ago when water completely covered the Australian continent. The exhibition was initially developed on Gadigal and Yuin country, where Phillips is based on the South Coast of New South Wales, before being produced on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar in Perth.
Phillips collaborated with new artistic collective Friends with Computers, comprising herself as director and lead artist, technical director Jordan East, and creative director Pat Younis, both real-time artists. The collective embraces what they term "the digital handmade" approach, using computers as tools for craftsmanship to tell stories of art, culture, and human creativity.
Creating a Fully Immersive Sensory Experience
The exhibition creates what Phillips describes as "a room within a room at PICA that's physically immersive, so you're sort of wrapped in a cocoon of beautiful projections and the infrastructure to support that." Visitors first encounter what the artists call a portal—a suspended scrim holding projected light that tells the story of Earth's underwater past.
"When you step into this space, you are met with what we're calling a portal," Phillips explains. "Then within that, it's a step into this underwater world. With immersive art, it's really about all the senses, so 'How do we create this sensory experience of sight and sound?' It's very magical and like a form of transcendence where you step into that room and go somewhere else for 11 minutes."
Collaborative Storytelling with First Nations Voices
The sensory experience is enhanced by contributions from composer Mark Leahy, Wiradjuri soprano opera singer Shauntai Abdul-Rahman, and Sam Walker, a Ngarluma woman from Ieramugadu (Roebourne) who recorded spoken word for the work. Walker's participation is particularly significant as she speaks to audiences at the beginning to establish connection to place.
This connection is further emphasized through the exhibition's inclusion of photogrammetry (3-D scans) of Xenophora shells from the Dampier region, currently residing in the WA Museum Boola Bardip collection. "Sam kind of put her hand up to collaborate with us as a way to respond to these beautiful shells from in and around her country," Phillips says regarding the marine molluscs that adorn their shells with gathered fragments.
"They're these little carrier shells that cement other shells to their shell, so they're very complex and beautiful and have all of these different shapes," she continues. "Hopefully it will make audiences want to learn a little bit about Xenophora and how special they are, and how cool it is that you have them hugging all the way down this west coast."
Accessible Art Creating Awe and Connection
Phillips emphasizes that Under Waters is designed to be accessible to diverse audiences, requiring no specialized knowledge of computer logic or biology. "I think what I'm imagining people will feel when they walk away is just a kind of sense of awe and wonder for the natural world," she reflects.
"Hopefully some pride and connection to place, and left with that feeling of the power of First Nations voices." The exhibition provides multiple entry points for different visitors while maintaining its artistic integrity and technological innovation.
Exhibition Details and Future Touring
Under Waters will be on display at PICA in the Perth Cultural Centre until March 29, 2026, with free entry available to all visitors. Following its Perth presentation, the exhibition will embark on a regional tour of Western Australia through touring partner Art On The Move, bringing this groundbreaking immersive experience to broader audiences across the state.
This exhibition represents a significant moment in Australia's digital art landscape, combining cutting-edge technology with deep cultural storytelling to create an experience that both honors the past and points toward the future of artistic expression.
