Journey to the Centre of the Earth (2007)
Photographic vinyl prints
Art on the Underground
London
'Core', Tunnel, London Bridge Underground Station
'Intra' at entrance to London Bridge Underground Station
'Hollow
Earth' billboard vinyl print around Southwark Underground Station
July 2007 – May 2008
Produced by Cathy Mager
Digital imaging work by Genesis Imaging
![3 Cockaigne 2006](/media/3-Cockaigne-2006_2023-01-14-074538_mqnb.jpg?v=1673682339)
The project began with an installation of Chong Kwan's 'Cockiagne' series at Southwark Underground station. Over two years, Chong Kwan worked with around 150 station staff, catering college students, and market traders. It was sited in three major sites at London Bridge, Southwark and Borough. Taking its title from Jules Verne’s novel that illustrates an extraordinary underground world and refers to bodily digestion and the cooking of the earth, the work wove together science-fictional ideas of subterranean travel with the capital’s gastronomic heritage, which was altered and enriched by people arriving from Britain’s ex-colonies, invited to come to work in transport sector in the 1950s and 60s.
![4 Core Journey to the Centre of the Earth 2007 9](/media/4-Core-Journey-to-the-Centre-of-the-Earth-2007-9.jpg?v=1673682851)
![5 Core Journey to the Centre of the Earth 2007 9 installation](/media/5-Core-Journey-to-the-Centre-of-the-Earth-2007-9-installation.jpg?v=1673682858)
![Pf A18 040](/media/PfA18.040.jpg?v=1673683074)
![Pf A18 004](/media/PfA18.004.jpg?v=1673683117)
![Pf A18 080](/media/PfA18.080.jpg?v=1673683037)
![Pf A18 033](/media/PfA18.033.jpg?v=1673683044)
![GCK small Pf A22 006](/media/GCK-small-PfA22.006.jpg?v=1673684214)
![Small Pf A22 110](/media/small-PfA22.110.jpg?v=1673684223)
![Small Pf A22 027](/media/small-PfA22.027.jpg?v=1673684245)
![Small Pf A22 129](/media/small-PfA22.129.jpg?v=1673684255)
![Southwark3 HI](/media/Southwark3HI.jpg?v=1673685507)
![Southwark2 HI](/media/Southwark2HI.jpg?v=1673685533)
![Small Pf A23 013](/media/small-PfA23.013.jpg?v=1673685954)
![Small Pf A23 035](/media/small-PfA23.035.jpg?v=1673685963)
'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'
Launch Event
Borough Market
London
Wednesday 18th July 2007
The launch event was held in Borough Market and involved readings of poems, songs, music, and speeches by project participants, local schools, the team at London Underground, the team at Art on the Underground, and Gayle Chong Kwan.
![Pf A21 024](/media/PfA21.024.jpg?v=1673686363)
![Pf A21 022](/media/PfA21.022.jpg?v=1673686371)
![Pf A21 033](/media/PfA21.033.jpg?v=1673686432)
![Pf A21 043](/media/PfA21.043.jpg?v=1673686444)
![Pf A21 014](/media/PfA21.014.jpg?v=1673686466)
![Pf A21 030](/media/PfA21.030.jpg?v=1673686479)
![Journeytothe Centreofthe Earth Poster](/media/JourneytotheCentreoftheEarthPoster_2023-01-14-092810_xaig.jpg?v=1673688490)
![Programmefrontcopy](/media/Programmefrontcopy.jpg?v=1673687110)
I worked with students in the Catering Department at Southwark College to develop landscapes that became part of the landscape works.
![Small W3 A](/media/small-W3A.jpg?v=1673687380)
![Small W3 D](/media/small-W3D.jpg?v=1673687385)
![Small W6a](/media/small-W6a.jpg?v=1673687414)
![Small W3 JJ](/media/small-W3JJ.jpg?v=1673687421)
Press Coverage
![The Sun 2 12 06](/media/The-Sun-2.12.06_2023-01-14-091646_qwxh.jpg?v=1673687806)
![061113 NEWS NEWS METRO](/media/061113-NEWS-NEWS-METRO_2023-01-14-091703_awlj.jpg?v=1673687823)
With huge thanks to Mark Foxwell and all the team at Genesis Imaging.
![Pf A21 081](/media/PfA21.081_2023-01-14-092923_fwiv.jpg?v=1673688563)