Julia Solis has investigated ruined urban spaces since the 1990s and founded two arts organizations, Dark Passage and Ars Subterranea, to explore their possibilities for playful events and installations. Following philosophy studies at UCLA, she has published numerous photos, articles and stories, and the books New York Underground: The Anatomy of a City (Routledge, 2006) and Stages of Decay (Prestel, 2013). Her photos have appeared in a wide range of international media and exhibitions. Currently she is the creative director of the Seafoam Palace, a museum dedicated to absurdity and the new grotesque in Detroit.