The rarely seen huge unrestored waiting room at Peckham Rye station is open to the public at the moment, as it’s hosting a large video art installation, which is free to visit.
A large central globe has been created by New York-based artist Sarah Sze that projects images into the skeletal globe and onto the walls of the darkened waiting room.
The artwork, Metronome is a dense matrix of thin stainless-steel tubing. Within this structure, a convex form made up of a large number of torn pieces of paper and card resembles a section of a globe or planet. Both the ‘globe’ and the walls and ceiling of the space are illuminated by fragments of moving images beamed from 42 video projectors installed in the structure to create a vast magic lantern.
A regular ticking sound in the room gives the artwork its name, Metronome.
It’s an interesting work of art in itself, and quite immersive in how the central glowing orb draws you into the space with the distored projections sweeping around the walls.
However, it can’t be denied that the setting is going to be as appealing as the art — being set inside the impressive unrestored waiting room inside Peckham Rye station.
The exhibition, Sarah Sze – The Waiting Room is at Peckham Rye station from this Friday until 17th September 2023, open Wed to Sat 12pm to 8pm.
It’s free and no need to book in advance.
Entry is via the ground floor with the entrance just outside the station’s main entrance and is easily signposted with Artangel signs. It’s up the restored staircase – for step-free access, you need to contact them in advance as they can let you in if you arrive on Platform 3 of the station itself.
Why not just let us see the “hidden Victorian waiting room“?