Huilin Xing,

Visual Designer and Art Educator

The flow of Silence

“In silence, emptiness, and stillness, we open to some deep place and become its conduit. Rumi said it this way: There is a way between voice and presence where information flows. In disciplined silence it opens; with wandering talk it closes” (Mawlana Jalal-al-Din Rumi, 1995).

As a student I became aware of the expectation and value placed upon talking. The expectation to ‘say something' has become a major source of anxiety and conflict in classrooms that privilege ‘active participation’. Silence was seen as something to be avoided in the environment in which I was educated. Silence is perceived as a symbol of shyness, ignorance or rebellion, or implies that someone or some group is being oppressed. In such cases, silent students in the classroom, even when active and listening, are considered non-participatory.

My research on the MA reflects from a teacher’s perspective on the place of silence in the classroom. My wearable sculpture invites participants to experience silence around the UCL campus, offering a space of relief from the noise and goal-oriented tasks, pauses from the endless conversation, and an experience of concentration that comes with silence. Weaving ourselves into the silent world and discovering where we fit in, such is the power of silence.

Rumi, J.A.D. and Barks, C., 1995. The Essential Rumi. Harmondsworth: Penguin.