Cockaigne: The Land of Plenty

An interactive immersive exhibition by award-winning Australian artist Sam Leach

In the medieval fantasy land of Cockaigne, roast geese flew into open mouths and rivers ran with wine. It was a worker’s dream of plenty without labour. Cockaigne: The Land of Plenty revisits that dream as the promise is renewed by the barons of Artificial Intelligence.

Visitors stand between two screens: one displaying a vast AI-generated landscape that shifts between scarcity and excess, the other revealing how the algorithm renders them as data, assigning scores labelled Collective Mood, Coherence Index and Solidarity.

The landscape is watching. The sensing system reads the crowd’s collective behaviour and the world on the wall responds, but the rules are never explained. Why does paradise appear? As visions of plenty are offered, Cockaigne reflects a world shaped by invisible systems that monitor, score and influence us, without ever revealing the trade-offs.

An immersive exhibition where you're not just watching the artwork. The artwork is watching you.

This installation uses camera-based sensing of audience movement to drive the artwork. Sensing is behavioural only; no facial recognition is used, no individuals are identified and no images are retained. Contains Al-generated imagery. A low-light environment with bright large-scale LED screens. Some sequences depict storm imagery that may include frequent lightning flashes.

Exhibition Information

Dates: 25 February – 21 March 2027

Location: Immersive Light and Art | ILA, 63 Light Square, Adelaide

Tickets: $25 General Admission (plus booking fee) | Concession $20 (plus booking fee) | Companion Cards and Under 12s Free

Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday | 10am to 8pm

Plus Sunday 21 March | 11am – 4pm

Session times: 2.5 hour windows from 10am | 12:30pm | 3pm | 5:30pm | 8pm

Please arrive during your preferred session time and allow approximately 30–45 minutes to enjoy the full experience at your leisure.

Accessibility

Immersive Light and Art's Gallery and Studio are located on Level 1, with level entry via lift is available and access friendly bathroom are located next to the Gallery.

Relaxed sessions are available from 10am - 12:30pm on open days for visitors who would benefit from a quieter, more accessible experience.

Companion Cards are accepted, but must show a valid ticket for entry.

Presented by Immersive Light and Art and Adelaide Festival.

Accessibility

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