In the Stillness of a Word

“In the Stillness of a Word” is a group exhibition and performance night inspired by the title of a poem of the same name by Amrita Bharati.

Taking place in a former care home, House 54 in Camberwell, the exhibition brings together painting, drawing, photography, sound, sculpture and poetry for a week-long show and performance evening. The building itself, once a site of care and rest, becomes a resonant container for the exhibition’s central question: what does it mean to be still?

Stillness holds contradiction.
Still life. A body held still. Still water - dangerous to swim in, dangerous to drink.
It can suggest stubbornness, paralysis, continuation (“still here”), insistence (“but still”), or command (“stay still”). Is stillness quiet? Calm? Effortless? Or does it require labour - the effort of remaining unmoving while being observed, drawn, listened to?

Stillness may allow something to settle - or to stagnate. It can be a landing place within a shifting world, or a sign of malfunction: a stalled engine, a body under strain. It may create the conditions for attention, presence and awareness. It may also carry the weight of silence - the pause after words are spoken, the charged quiet between lovers.

Can sound make us still, just as it can make us move?

This exhibition approaches stillness as a space to inhabit - a condition dense with tension, duration and meaning. In a culture structured by acceleration and productivity, stillness becomes both difficult and necessary.

Accessibility

House 54 is step-free and wheelchair accessible; however, there is no accessible/disabled toilet on site.

The nearest accessible toilets are located at King’s College Hospital (approx. 10 minutes’ walk) and Camberwell Leisure Centre (approx. 5 minutes’ walk; please note opening hours may be limited). Please check www.accessable.co.uk in advance for up-to-date information.

There will be seating with back support available throughout the exhibition, as well as quieter spaces to rest or lie down if needed. Lighting in the exhibition spaces will be soft and ambient, with brighter lighting in the corridors. There will be low-level background music during opening hours, and some performances will include louder sound elements. Earplugs will be available.

If you have specific access requirements or would like to discuss the space in advance, please contact [email protected] and we will do our best to support you.

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Host or Publisher Nadia Lesniarek