Central Tunnel, particularly between Railway Square and Devonshire Street is a strange place. No matter what time of the year it’s always hot, there’s a mass echo and it is full of weird art.
Throughout my high school and university days I would frequent this part of the tunnel, and there was always one part of it that really stuck out.
Part of the tunnel’s decorations include some almost transparent faces in the walls, barely noticeable. When looking at the artwork, there’s no explanation of who these people are, who the artwork was created by, or an explanation on the choice to include this in a tunnel that an estimated 270,000 people use daily. I have been obsessed with it for a while.
Once you see the faces you can’t unsee them. The obsession with the face’s spreads. Honestly, nine times out of ten, those creepy faces are what’s keeping me up at night.
I reached out to Sydney Transport, to see if they had any information. The great people who I’ve been in contact with have been digging hard to try and find any information, and they were able to tell me that the artwork is named Material World, was installed in 1999 as part of an upgrade to Railway Square and that it was made by Marylin Fairskye. But, still no information on who the faces belong to, or why they’re there.
It only fuels my curiosity more. Why so much digging? How far does this mystery go? Is this some sort of illuminati conspiracy theory hidden in (almost) plain sight?
Next time you’re passing through Central Tunnel, please, have a look around. I need to know I’m not insane. Or better yet if you know anything about the faces, please, call the Urban Village office.
I’ll be sitting by the phone waiting to hear any information that’s out there.
