Taming the Abyss?

While aerial photography and its impact on our perception and representation of the environment have been the subject of research, underground photography remains an overlooked area. 

Although centered on vertical exploration, it stems from the same desire to discover and share new perspectives on the world, while challenging the norms of photographic practice. Based on a study of the work of Édouard-Alfred Martel (1859–1938), a passionate advocate of modern speleology, this research project aims to understand how, and with what intentions, in what ways, and with what effects photography has reshaped the visual culture surrounding imaginings of the underground world—from Hollow Earth theories to representations of the mining world—since the late 19th century.