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Bradley Garrett

@goblinmerchant

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Sydney Uni Geographer; Podcast Host; Author of 5 books. Currently writing 'Groundbreaking: How Tunnels Define the Modern World' (St. Martin's Press).

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Beneath Los Angeles. Hundreds of miles of quiet concrete channels where art blooms in artificial light, only to be revealed by the next wet-footed explorer. @operationunder continues. by @goblinmerchant

Happy Halloween from the tunnels of Los Angeles. Remember to protect your Achilles tendons this year. by @goblinmerchant

Good morning from the Mojave Desert! 🌵 by @goblinmerchant

I just grabbed 14 gallons of diesel for the tractor, and even with a 40c discount, it cost me $113. Brutal. by @goblinmerchant

I flew into D.C. last week to audition for @thegreatcourses! I've been listening to these courses for something like 20 years, back when it was The Teaching Company. The studio setup was impressive, and the crew was great to work with. We shot the 30-minute lecture twice, and the first time I managed it in one take. Fingers crossed everyone enjoys the pilot, and I get the 24-class gig! by @goblinmerchant

Beneath the bustle of Nuremberg’s Hauptbahnhof lies a sobering reminder of the Cold War: a nuclear bunker designed to shelter around 2,500 people for up to two weeks, never used in an emergency and now preserved as a museum. Many thanks to Ralf Arnold of Nürnberger Unterwelten (the man with the keys to the underground) for showing us around and sharing its history. Ralf pointed out that the air filtration lacked redundancy, raising uncomfortable questions about how seriously survival in a nuclear exchange had been planned—and leaving me wondering how much of it was security theater. Of roughly 2,000 public shelters Germany once maintained, just 579 remain officially designated, with nominal capacity for fewer than 1% of the population; none is currently considered operational. Russia’s war against Ukraine has brought renewed urgency to public civil defense and planning for places where people can find protection. by @goblinmerchant

Congratulations to @sallykidall on her new solo show at the @maxikunst_derkreis gallery in Nuremberg!

Sally asked me to come over to give a talk about the allure of the underworld before her show, and then shocked me by offering to print some of my photos to exhibit alongside her work!

The show is incredible. She managed to fill an entire 2-story abandoned bank, which was transformed into the gallery a few years ago by Thomas May. It's running until the 4th of Oct., if anyone is passing through. It's worth a trip!

Sally and I previously collaborated on the Bunker Down project for Sculpture by the Sea in 2022. (see www.bunkerdown.info).

Thanks to everyone who came out. Nuremberg was incredible, and some underground photos are coming up next... by @goblinmerchant

by @goblinmerchant

Sound on! 🎶 I don’t know why this was happening in the Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof, but I'm so happy it was! by @goblinmerchant

All welcome to our Symposium as part of my Solo show: STEPPING BEYOND… at MAXI. Kunst, Maximilianstraße, Nuremberg. 19 Sep, 4pm. FREE. “The Draw of the Underlands: Hidden Worlds Beneath Our Feet”. Dr Bradley Garrett (USA) author of Bunker

A Symposium as part of Stepping Beyond… a site-responsive intervention by conceptual artist Sally Kidall

MAXI.kunst (former Sparkasse branch on Maximilianstraße,Nuremberg)
Saturday, 19 September, 4pm-6.30pm

The Draw of the Underlands,
This symposium, exploring humanity’s enduring fascination with subterranean spaces and their significance in shaping history, memory, ecology, conflict and contemporary society.

Dr Bradley Garrett, US author and urban geographer, joins us in Nuremberg as our keynote speaker. Internationally recognised for his pioneering work in urban exploration, Garrett’s research and writing delve into hidden urban spaces, subterranean landscapes and the human fascination with places that lie beneath the visible city. His publications include Bunker: Building for the End Times and Subterranean London: Cracking the Capital.
“Architecture of dread” is a term coined by Garrett to describe modern bunkers, noting that “They are as much a metaphorical space as an architectural one & embody our twenty-first-century anxieties and insecurities, mirroring how we view the world & each other.” (Garrett, 2019)

“Stepping Beyond… “ is a two-part, site-responsive art installation by Australian conceptual artist Sally Kidall. The ground floor features a satirical real-estate showroom for Bunker Down Subterranean Property Consultant, Kidall’s fictional company marketing luxury underground bunkers through walkthrough videos, photographs and architectural plans. Created in response to growing fears and uncertainty, the work examines the desire to withdraw and seek refuge beneath the surface as communities face an increasingly unpredictable world.
Upstairs, visitors cross a symbolic threshold into a sequence of immersive, liminal environments. Stage props, lighting, soundscapes and projections suspend time and unsettle perceptions….#bradleygarrett #subterraneanlandscape by @goblinmerchant

I've got news! A few years ago, @amandaavonne and I decided I should apply for an Australian partner visa so we could freely move and work between countries. Since she's Australian and I studied and worked there, it seemed like it should be easy. It wasn't.

I submitted my initial application at Sydney Airport, which apparently made it "invalid" since I'd already swiped my passport. Yet they kept processing my application (background checks, references, health checks, documentation, gobs of money, all that) for TWO YEARS before telling me.

After a brief boxing match with Australian Immigration, they decided to just go ahead and give me permanent residency. The fair go is real!

Can't wait to come back soon for a visit and see all our Aussie friends! by @goblinmerchant

We spent the morning at the @highdeserttestsites, a sweet Joshua Tree artist retreat set up by @andreazittel. @amandaavonne and I were inspired for new projects at our place in Morongo Valley 30 minutes away. Cool to see we both have books with @prestel_publishing, Andrea - hope to meet you when you’re back in town. by @goblinmerchant