Galleria Objets is truly an oasis — a serene, contemplative space in the bustling flow of Brick Lane. The current exhibition, Momentum, on view until July 18th, proves this point by offering a deeply grounding experience to those who enter. Each piece invites the viewer to slow down, spend time with it, and feel its unique energy and resonance within the space.

Momentum is the fourth open-call exhibition at Galleria Objets, and that origin story matters. Many of the participating artists are returning contributors — familiar with and comfortable in the gallery — bringing a sense of confidence to their submissions. The exhibition features works by 18 artists, connected less by medium or theme and more by the relationship they share with the space itself. It’s a little like a friend group held together by one central person. Because of this eclectic nature, each work benefits from personal attention; tuning in to their varied frequencies becomes, in a way, a balancing ritual.

The space itself feels homely — no echoing hallways, dark corners, or jarring turns. There’s a lot of air. Compact, yet not cramped or abstracted, the gallery allows for a relaxed, fluid walkthrough. An inner courtyard acts like a sorbet between two exhibition spaces — cleansing the palate. Built-in vitrines in the first room are an excellent curatorial touch, elevating certain artefacts to feel otherworldly—removed from everyday reality. In contrast, the second room offers a more immersive setup, with tables and wall hangings encouraging closer, multi-angle engagement with the works. Though curated by different individuals and located in structurally distinct spaces (technically different buildings), the two rooms feel in dialogue with each other — distinct, yet harmonious within the overall experience.

Many works in the first room evoke archaeological artefacts rather than deliberately crafted art objects, prompting a meditation on the interplay between creation and decay — both active forces of transformation. Settle Down by Hiro Shen embodies this idea: two glass vessels, one filled with honey, the other one with ink, hang from the wall with darkened metal hooks. The glass necks are irregular, as if broken. Though sculptural, the piece is also gently performative — completed by the artist but continuously evolving. The light honey has crystallised into a thick, opaque mass, while ink slowly escapes from a vessel’s base, forming a subtle puddle on the vitrine floor. The process is barely perceptible but always underway. The vitrine implies preservation, yet time continues to act on the work, inevitably altering it — and the space it inhabits — acting as a metaphor for how all evolution sets in motion an eventual process of degradation.

The second space feels more playful and exploratory. Here, the works ask to be experienced from multiple perspectives — physically and emotionally. Initial Space Series by Viviana Jeor is laid openly on a table at the center of the room, in sharp contrast to the glass-enclosed works nearby. The piece embodies vulnerability — from the thin walls of its sculptures to its exposed position in the room. The forms inspire a desire to curl up inside them — like an embryo in the womb: fragile, yet safe. Open and empty, they resemble cracked eggs — traces of a presence that once did, but no longer needs protection. There’s a sense of mourning in them, like a mother after separation from her child. The fact that these works were shaped under extreme temperatures adds yet another layer—resilience in accepting fragility.

The title of the exhibition, Momentum, makes total sense. Momentum is the energy that carries something forward — whether fueled by hope, motion, or the simple passage of time. In physics, momentum is the measure of an object’s motion — determined by its mass and velocity—and reflects how difficult it is to stop or change that motion. Walking through this exhibition, one becomes aware of how long it takes for them to attune to the gallery’s pace — slower, more deliberate, and far removed from the rush of the outside world. If momentum is what guides things forward, then Galleria Objets is the space that receives and reorients their place in time — slowing it down just enough for something meaningful to take shape.