In winter 2024, The Art House unveiled Paradise Carpet, a mesmerising installation by British Muslim artist Zarah Hussain. Blending vibrant animation, immersive light, and ambient sound, the exhibition transformed the main gallery to explore the power of spirituality, geometry, technology, and Islamic design.
As overhead projectors cast shifting, intricate patterns onto a soft floor, visitors were invited to sit, pray, or meditate in a serene wash of colour and light while bathed in an ambient soundtrack. The exhibition created a calming, contemplative experience open to all.
Acting as a legacy to the exhibition, we are delighted to launch Paradise Carpet: An Audio-Visual Meditation. This guided audio-visual meditation immerses you in animations created by Hussain. Research supports the idea that audio meditations can offer a sense of calm, peace, and balance, benefiting emotional well-being and overall health by reducing stress and promoting relaxation through focused attention.
Across April 2025, this meditation will be voiced by various members of The Art House’s Studio of Sanctuary, spoken in multiple languages, including Arabic, Kurdish and Urdu.
The project culminates in a final guided meditation that weaves these voices together – blending languages into a shared, universal experience. Bringing in multiple languages celebrates the rich cultural identities within The Arthouse’s local community, allowing more people to connect emotionally and spiritually in their own tongue, as well as transforming the meditation into a collective expression of belonging.
The project has been kindly supported by the Bagri Foundation and The Space.