Soft Launch is artist Emil McAvoy's pilgrimage to the epicentre of 'crop circle country' in Wiltshire, UK, embedding himself in communities and subcultures of crop circle makers, researchers, enthusiasts, tourists and locals.

His suite of photographs document the complex and layered landscapes in which this allegedly paranormal or supernatural phenomenon occurs – a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring Stone Henge, Avebury Stone Circle, Silbury Hill, ancient burial grounds, chalk figures carved into the hillsides, military training grounds and swathes of high-yield farmland.

The term 'exopoetics' refers to the idea that this unique region is witness to a test site for extraterrestrial communication – imagined or real – soft launching zones for poetic extraterrestrial exchange on Earth and hidden in plain sight.

A suite of photographs from Soft Launch recently appeared as part of the international group exhibition The Truth is Out There, curated by Dr. Chelsea Nichols for The Dowse Art Museum, 12 March – 14 August 2022.

Soft Launch was revised and expanded for this solo exhibition at PHOTO OP. and includes a photobook which features a number of previously unreleased photographs. The photobook is published by McAvoy’s new imprint PUFF PIECE x Bad News Books.

PHOTO OP. Gallery Information
PHOTO OP. Website