Bump in the Night at Night Café Gallery

Drawing inspiration from Spike Milligan’s poem “Things that go ‘bump’ in the night,” the exhibition delves into how the absence of light and sensory deprivation cultivate a sense of suspense,  where the anticipation of the unseen and unknown lurks. In this darkness, every sound, every  shadow, can provoke a heightened sense of alertness and psychological tension. 

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Curator Thom Oosterhof is interested in creating a space that holds the tension of this moment, often in the middle of the night, when something seems on the verge of happening. Triggered by a sound, a creak, something alien that, through the absence of light and our interpretation of sound, immediately heightens the senses and ignites psychological tension. 

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“Each of the 4 participating artists, through their use of light and subject matter, has this edge,  this tension, in abundance,” Thom explains, “I wanted to explore what would happen if their  work came together in a single space, charged by the environment and intimacy of the space  itself.” 

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“Each of the 4 participating artists, through their use of light and subject matter, has this edge,  this tension, in abundance,”

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In his paintings, Tim Wilson conjures silent scenes of empty interiors hued in darkness, instigating intrigue regarding what could unfold. Whether it’s an unoccupied couch or an empty  stairway, he heightens our sensory awareness of how we occupy those spaces, as well as the  intimacies of the spaces we inhabit.  

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Building suspense in a different way, Katelyn Eichwald places familiar elements in unfamiliar  contexts, opening the door to endless narratives. Whether through cropped compositions or  distant perspectives, she skilfully isolates elements, creating an atmosphere charged with tension.  

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Marked by luminous contrasts of light and shadow, Steffen Kern’s pencil and charcoal drawings heighten awareness. Drawing from photography, his works blur reality and imagination,  creating compositions that are familiar and yet vaguely uncanny, falling somewhere between  film stills and scenes from everyday life.  

Anthony Goicolea explores themes ranging from personal history and identity, to cultural tradition and heritage, to alienation and displacement. In a striking dark colour palette, Goicolea builds narratives that are mysterious and range from haunting to comforting.  

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