Twilight Zone: Hidden Wonders of the Ocean at ARTECHOUSE NYC

Beneath Chelsea Market, in a boiler room more than a century old, ARTECHOUSE NYC is now showing Twilight Zone: Hidden Wonders of the Ocean. The exhibition looks at the ocean's twilight zone, the dim, bioluminescent layer far below the surface, through film, sound and hands-on technology.

It was produced by ARTECHOUSE Studio in collaboration with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the non-profit research organization founded in 1930. Mehmet Ünal of Tilde Sound Art created the original score and sound design. The centerpiece is a 24-minute cinematic piece about the nightly migration of animals from the deep to the surface, and about how closely those movements are tied to the health of the climate and to food sources for whales, sharks, swordfish and tuna.

Around the main film are seven interactive installations and six XR activations. In one, you see the twilight zone through the eyes of the Mesobot robot, in a journey inspired by the illustrated book "Where the Weird Things Are." Others recreate the ways creatures use light to find mates, avoid predators and move together; offer an interactive aquarium for close looks at individual species; turn sonar readings into images; and use eDNA analysis to show how much life exists at these depths.

The space is open Sunday to Tuesday and Thursday from 12 to 7 p.m., Friday 12 to 8 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is closed Wednesdays. An XR Bar operates during opening hours. Plan on 60 to 75 minutes. The address is 439 W. 15th St., inside Chelsea Market, and tickets are sold online in advance, which the venue recommends for the best availability and price.