SILENT GROUND
By Hannah Marshall
A silent walk meditation
Commissioned by Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival 2025.
POEM
The space in-between
Silence and sound
The pulse that's alive
When above the ground.
TEXT SCORE
01 Read the poem
02 Walk silently to the river
03 No headphones, no phone
04 Each step, let the water draw you in.
CONCEPT
Water calls us forward — a quiet ritual of return. Conceived through years of exploring sacred space, visiting temples, and receiving direct teaching in Buddhist walking meditation. From practice to art, from silence to movement. Rooted in nine months of incubation, this piece explores what lies beneath — the pulse that connects all living systems. When we walk in silence, we remember our place within this living field.
CREDITS
Artist: Hannah Marshall
Studio: H+
Commission: Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival
Theme: Cultural Reforesting
Dates: 13-29 June 2025
Artistic Director: Andy Franzkowiak
Programmer: Fahim Qureshi
Producer: Judit Agui
Supported by: Arts Council England and British Council
Thank you: Habitats & Heritage
Website: here
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Hannah Marshall is a British conceptual artist whose work explores the intersection between silence, sound and quantum listening.
She invites audiences into spaces of charged silence and collective resonance — minimalist sound installations that serve as intentional interventions, anchoring us within a contemplative void, cultivating heightened perception and revealing what lies beneath the noise. Rooted in the belief that artists are conduits for connection, Marshall offers purposeful disruption in an ecosystem of mass distraction through works that underscore the urgency of sacred attention.
Since 2004, Marshall has cultivated an unwavering devotion to human intelligence, standing as both a catalyst for change and a distinctive voice within contemporary culture. An award-winning entrepreneur, she bridges art with innovation and social impact by positioning deep listening as a vital threshold for reconnection.
Through H+, she creates culturally significant works for major organisations. Commissioned by institutions internationally, including the V&A, Saatchi Gallery, British Museum, and Financial Times, she is recognised by Nesta — the UK’s social innovation foundation, Porsche’s Founders Initiative supporting female innovators, and named one of 200 cultural icons by i-D. Marshall sits on the Global Music Advisory Board of EarthPercent, a climate foundation founded by Brian Eno that harnesses the power of sound in service of the planet — as she continues to shape the cultural zeitgeist.