REVIEW: Prem Sahib / Chamber
By Alison Norwood, volunteer arts reviewer
Walking through wooden doors when already inside a gallery space may seem superfluous, but it actually proves to be an invitation to visitors of Chamber, Prem Sahib’s latest exhibition.
By entering in this way the symbolic move opens up into the expanse of the space on the other side, where light, heat, and sound combine in a kind of sci-fi vision that both challenges and provokes reactions in those experiencing it.
Sahib (b. 1982) is a London-based British artist, exploring the concept of being ‘at home,’ or not, in a space, and this is a mid-career survey of his art.
The doors, pictured above, form A Passing (2026), worn and damaged symbols of the gay culture of 1980s London, setting the theme of several pieces ahead.
A few snapshots of this gallery experience include a shadow dog, long shiny black columns, and a series of pixelated dots, all set into an accompanying soundscape plus blasts of heat and an upturned streetlamp.
The dog is Kin (2026), where the projection of a stray dog undertakes its unearthly pacing across the contained area of the gallery floor, occasionally hesitating and always in a faintly creepy slow-motion. The background rumbling noises add to a strange sense of unease, especially as the real human shadows mix with the projected dog, causing some visitors to move closer and some to edge away.
The black columns are One Up One Down (2014) like elongated and unmarked dominos. Next to them, a similar obsidian square forms Man Dog (2020), an audio recording of threatening, throaty, grumbly sounds that seem to be a vicious hound but are actually a racist and homophobic rant slowed down. The comparison of human vitriol with a known predator is unnerving and insightful.
Lastly, pixelated dots form a series of five paintings called Horizon (2026), acrylic paint and stainless steel frames forming a solid, hard, digital rendering of landscapes which are surprisingly calming in comparison with the other works. Their position in the De la Warr Pavilion downstairs space, so close to the sea, provides the comparison between natural and constructed beauty.
The text at the outset of this atmospheric exhibition encourages the visitor to notice what’s in front of them and how they are positioning themselves in relation to the artworks, and also to consider what they are seeing, hearing, and feeling. The prompt is useful to put the seemingly disparate pieces into context because, upon further investigation, several of the artworks do link.
For a thoughtful encounter over the winter months, the short trip along the coast to Bexhill would be worthwhile, to immerse oneself in the mind of the artist and the sensations on the other side of those seemingly ordinary wooden doors.
:: The exhibition runs until 3 January 2027. Entry is free but donations are welcomed via GoodBox contactless payments at the gallery
:: Alison Norwood is managing director of Norwood Editorial Services, and was previously an academic publisher. She has also worked in print and design, and writes novels in her spare time. Alison has always studied art history and is a volunteer arts reviewer for Eastbourne Reporter.
