Exhibition
Heaven in the Ground DARCH
17th October 2026 - 28th November 2026
Heaven in the Ground is a speculative sound-work and installation that reimagines the underground as a sacred space of regeneration, guided by insects, mycelium, and the Earth’s bedrock made by Wales artists DARCH; conceived as a site-specific project for Wales.
DARCH is the collaborative practice of artists Umulkhayr Mohamed and Radha Patel. Their work seeks creative ways to articulate care-centred practices for people of colour, with an approach grounded in solidarity and liberation.
Heaven in the Ground is a soundwork and installation which tells the story of the earth underneath our feet, and the bedrock as a great connector which holds all histories (prehistoric, colonial, personal) as well as possible futures. The work explores concepts of the afterlife, the relationship between life and death, and the need to acknowledge the labour of other species. DARCH ask us to consider the soil, and the bedrock that holds it up, as a space that is shared equally amongst all species – plants, animals and our ancestors, both human and more-than-human – and one through which we can collectively bring into being a gentler and more compassionate world.
Heaven in the Ground was originally co-commissioned for Liverpool Biennial 2025, BEDROCK, by At The Library/Rule of Threes Arts and Liverpool Biennial, with generous support from FACT Liverpool. It evolves across three Welsh venues; g39, Cardiff, Mostyn, Llandudno and Mission Gallery, Swansea in 2026, with additional newly commissioned works for each venue, bespoke workshops and audio described tours.
The exhibition at Mission Gallery is kindly supported by the Jane Phillips Award.
