Manningham residents Ben Street and Christobel Elliott are set to debut their immersive multi-sensory exhibition, Before Words, there were Rainbows - A cosmic light and sound journey through the beyond, at the Manningham Art Gallery from 4 February to 2 May 2026.
The exhibition invites visitors into a surreal, shifting world where the lines between human, animal, time and nature dissolve. Through a combination of large scale projection, a spatial soundscape and mindful meditative activities, audiences are encouraged to slow down, reflect and explore a space that sits somewhere between sleep and waking.
The projection work showcases visual artist and musician Ben Street's vibrant artwork, brought to life through colour, movement and scale. Complementing the visuals is an atmospheric electronic soundscape created by music producer Christobel Elliott. Together, the artists have crafted a 4 to 5 minute looping experience that envelops the gallery walls and fills the room with sound.
Street said he hopes audiences feel at ease within the space:
"Viewers can piece the story together from various clues and there may be different ways to interpret it. I wanted to create a calming environment that transports visitors into a zen-like state."
Elliott said she approached the soundscape with emotion and sensory connection in mind:
"Sound is one of our universal languages because it bypasses cognition and evokes emotion and memory, making it a powerful storytelling tool."
"I wanted the soundscape to feel dreamy and atmospheric, while pulsating sounds maintain a grounded momentum throughout," she said. Words from her storyboard include "sparkle, swirling, muted, vibrant, bursts, pulses, flow and harmony."
Before Words, there were Rainbows is on display at the Manningham Art Gallery, MC Square, 687 Doncaster Road, Doncaster.
