Stephen EllcockMondes souterrains

Mark your calendars! Almost a year after his visit to Peinture Fraîche, Stephen Ellcock is delighted to be back in Brussels for the signing of his new book “Mondes souterrains, Voyages dans les profondeurs réelles et imaginaires”, the second opus following his best-selling book “La Danse Cosmique” (Thames & Hudson, 2022). The signing will take place on Thursday 23 November 2023 from 6pm to 9pm at 9 rue Lesbroussart.

A dark and disturbing collection of images exploring natural and built, imagined and subconscious subterranean worlds, curated by social network celebrity image collector Stephen Ellcock.

From the secret burrows and bunkers beneath our feet to imaginary hellscapes and surreal reveries, this second volume offers disturbing and fascinating images of the real and imagined depths and subconscious meanderings of the human soul.

An introduction by Stephen Ellcock and texts at the start of each chapter weave a web of connections between the different groups of images. As you read the book, the major themes emerge: the visuals are illuminated by accessible texts that provide them with a historical and iconographic context.

Quotes from literature, philosophy and esoteric rituals complete the body of images. Together, they highlight the interaction between the real and the imaginary, revealing the mutual influence of these two aspects of human existence: how the real can feed our deepest fears and hopes, and in mirror image, how our psyche constantly feeds the imaginary of the unknown and the dark.

The author:
A true image alchemist, Stephen Ellcock is a curator, writer, researcher and online image collector. Based in London, he has spent the last ten years creating a virtual art museum open to all via social networks. His online ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ project on social networks has so far attracted more than 600,000 followers worldwide.