Stories in the Dark
Eggpicnic
5 – 15 November 2026
Location | Civic Square, London Circuit, Canberra ACT 2601
Opening Hours | Daily
Entry | Free | No bookings required
Access | template, template, template
Stories in the Dark is an animated public art installation by Eggpicnic, presented in Civic Square. For this year’s festival theme of dissent, the installation channels a quiet but urgent form of resistance: the refusal to look away from the ecological and societal neglect that allows species and habitats to remain invisible.
During the day, the cube’s digital surfaces present familiar landscapes including forests, bushland and wetlands, populated by animals whose survival is under threat and whose protection remains insufficient. These are the beings we think we know, yet even in daylight they are often overlooked in conversation, policy, and everyday attention. As night falls, the Storybox transforms. The landscapes shift to reveal nocturnal species such as gliders, bats, frogs, moths, and small marsupials, whose complex lives begin as ours pause. These animals thrive in the hours we look away, seldom acknowledged, and almost never given the spotlight. The work exposes a world that humans frequently choose not to notice, inviting audiences to return at different times and witness life that often goes unseen.
Stories in the Dark embodies dissent as an act of conscious attention and ecological responsibility. By revealing the hidden lives of wildlife, the installation challenges audiences to consider the consequences of inattention, reflect on human impact, and recognise that nature has the right to exist independently of human use or convenience. It transforms observation into awareness, and awareness into deliberate care.
The installation combines ecological research, design, storytelling, and original sound to create an experience that evolves with shifting light, revealing different species and narratives throughout the day and night. By presenting content in dynamic, immersive, and contextually responsive ways, the project demonstrates how Canberra based designers lead innovation in public art while fostering ecological consciousness.
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Eggpicnic is a Canberra based design studio dedicated to wildlife conservation through public art, storytelling, and research-driven creative practice. Founded by designers Camila De Gregorio and Christopher Macaluso, the studio works at the intersection of art, ecology, and advocacy, producing large-scale installations, animations, and public artworks that build emotional connections between people and the species they live alongside.
Their work has been commissioned by major institutions across Australia and internationally, including installations for Vivid Sydney, the City of Melbourne, Australia’s Parliament House, and the Presidential Palace in Chile. Known for their visually distinctive approach grounded in ecological accuracy, Eggpicnic collaborates closely with scientists, conservation organisations, and local communities to ensure each project amplifies real environmental knowledge and urgency. Their award-winning practice positions design as a powerful tool for conservation, transforming overlooked narratives into public experiences that inspire action.
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Images | Eggpicnic | Concept Image - Stories in the Dark – Night | Image courtesy of Eggpicnic