Notes on Farah Allibhai’s Sunday Service

During my recovery from a brain injury in 2015, I was offered 4 sessions on mindfulness, as a way to cope with the fatigue I was now living with. I went into it sceptical, unsure whether I would be able to silence the chattering monkey inside my head, and it never worked.

Farah Allibhai’s Sunday Service offered a similar experience, it seemed more approachable and another chance to find silence within myself. The event was on the same day as the World Cup final and I went into it with the news of Mary Earps penalty save in the World Cup final, England down 1-0 and chasing the game.

With the England anthem ‘Sweet Caroline’ constantly playing in my head, I went in with an open mind, giving myself the space to reflect, if I could forget the football..

I took my seat next to my silent host who was holding the space and tried to be present. I watched a cabbage butterfly fly across the community gardens, I followed birds as they flew across the (currently clear) sky, I tried to locate their calls and just sit and be. A large sunflower was bobbing in the wind and I gave it a character, its large bulbous face gave it a cheery demeanour.

With two coffees vibrating inside of me and the constant though of the football score, I struggled to stop thinking.

‘Sweet Caroline bah bah, bah! Good times never felt so good! So good! So good!’

I’ve always been an overthinker.

My eyes kept drifting towards the large Chapter lightbox with Rosa Johan Uddoh’s artwork Ye Olde Group Chat displayed on it. I’ve always liked the work but never had a chance to just sit and take it all in, many depictions of Balthazar taken from classic European paintings multiplied within the frame, offering a vessel, animal at his feet, meeting my gaze. Some dominating the frame, some smaller depictions in the corner but each with the same agency, in dialogue with each other.

I was able to pay more attention to the work than I normally would, often a fleeting glance up between the bike lock up and the front doors, I note what an impressive structure the lightbox is..

Perhaps in this moment I am able to be still, to have a moment away from everything. My mind drifts back to the mindfulness sessions I undertook in 2015, in the class they tried to take us away to a lavender garden through soft calming descriptions, it didn’t work for me and they asked ‘where do you find peaceful?’

‘In a contemporary art gallery’ I answered.

Farah’s Sunday Service allowed me to connect to an artwork I haven’t fully appreciated until that moment, thoughts of The World Cup score dissipated as Balthazar offered a vessel to me.

My bladder soon took over my thoughts as raindrops began to fall and the experience was over.