Local artist and former Guggenheim fellow Rick Araluce hand-built a large replica of Seattle’s Great Northern train tunnel inside MadArt Studio. When the real tunnel opened in Pioneer Square in 1905, it was the highest and widest in the U.S.

Rick’s version was half-scale, filling MadArt’s studio and immersing visitors in a multi-sensory experience. Using forced perspective and the subtle light and sound of an oncoming train, he created an unexpected illusion of mystery and suspense.

As a practicing artist, Araluce has worked for many years in the realm of miniatures, though his former position as lead scenic artist for the Seattle Opera also allowed him to create on a larger scale. Araluce’s captivating sculptures and installations often emphasize themes of nostalgia, emptiness, tension, darkness, suspense, and hidden narrative.