What if we told you that a small alley in Brisbane hides a portal to an alternate dimension? That may sound straight out of Stranger Things, but it is actually a real, tangible location, thanks to artist and self-proclaimed Interdimensional Geographer Eames Demetrios.
Let us explain: Back in 2003, Demetrios installed the first marker telling the story of Kcymaerxthaere, an alternate universe that co-exists with ours. This parallel world shares many similarities with our own, but it has different creatures, rules, and even laws of physics. Most importantly, it has a long and winding history, which has taken place all over our world.
Think of it as a geographical novel, where each page or sometimes chapter is in a different place. Demetrios’ markers honor events from Kcymaerxthaere, mostly through written stories etched in bronze, concrete and stone, but also enhanced by the physical place where you experience the story.
As of now, there are 162 installations in 30 countries, and Brissy has been lucky enough to be a part of Kcymaerxthaerean history since 2009!
Curious? Here’s how to find it:
A parallel world in Fortitude Valley
Head to Wickham Street, between Ballow and Constanze in Fortitude Valley. You will see a car park between the Australia Post building on the left, and another building on the right. Walk through this car park and you will see a garage in front of you and an exit ramp for the garage to the right. That quasi-alley is Alden Street. Look on the backside of the building to the right of Australia Post, and you’ll find a fascinating bit of interdimensional history!
Although we recommend finding it and reading it yourself — possibly with the help of Demetrios’ glossary — the gist of it is that this is the spot where two bands of survivors of a bloody war, of which they were reluctant participants in the first place, made their final stand. One group stayed behind, holding off the victors, while the other managed to escape on rafts, firmly resolved to be neutral from now on.
You can read all about this story of Fortitude here, and find the rest of the markers here.
Will you find every page?
