Exhibition: Cube of the Standing Wave by Aaron McPeake

'Cube of the Standing Wave', a new exhibition of sound and sculptural interventions from Aaron McPeake - 2014's Adam Reynolds Award winner - will be open to the public at Swiss Church, London, from 14-18 June 2025. 

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McPeake invites audiences to interact with sculptural works created using standing wave technologies and cast bell metal that generate sound and light interventions at the Swiss Church London. The exhibition is accompanied by an events programme, providing opportunities for the public and the Swiss Church community to engage directly with the works throughout June 2025.

Programme

Friday 13th June 2025 | 6 - 8pm | Launch Event

Join us for the celebratory opening of ‘Cube of the Standing Wave’ by Aaron McPeake including alive musical performance by Swiss AlpHorn duo, Frances Jones & Mark Woodhurst.

Saturday 14th June 2025 | 2 – 4pm | Free, Interactive Sound Experience Drop-in Session

A perfect afternoon out for families, this playful drop-in session is an opportunity for audiences to interact with the artworks and meet the artist. Aaron McPeake will also offer an introduction to the exhibition, his creative practice, as well as demonstrating how to play the sound sculptures on display.

Saturday 28th June 2025 | 11 am – 1 pm | Free Family Workshop

Aaron McPeake leads a sculptural workshop for families to explore the five senses: sound, touch, smell, sight, and taste.

Saturday 28th June 2025 | 2 – 5 pm | Finale Event

Join us for the celebratory finale of ‘Cube of the Standing Wave’, including a live musical performance by Aaron McPeake. This event offers a sensory experience, including a new sonic performance made in response to the exhibition, followed by an open discussion about the works with Aaron McPeake.

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Exhibition accessibility

Swiss Church London is located on Endell Street, between Soho and Holborn. The nearest TFL station is Tottenham Court Road, a 5 minute walk away, and is served by the Central, Northern, or Elizabeth lines. The station has step-free access to all platforms. Other nearby TFL stations include Covent Garden (10 minute walk) and Holborn (15 minute walk).

The exhibition takes place on the ground floor of the venue, but there are two small steps. Ramps are available upon request. The venue has internal lifts to access upper floors. 

The venue has its own accessible toilets. The nearest Changing Places toilet is at the National Portrait Gallery, 0.42 miles from the venue.

About the exhibition

‘Cube of the Standing Wave’ incorporates the unique spatial and acoustic qualities of the church, encouraging new sensory experiences of the space. Using digital technology, light, touch and the church’s architectural standing wave – a phenomenon produced when two sound waves are trapped within a space and interfere with one another – as tools to generate sounds, McPeake invites us to experiment, collaborate, and play. The participatory, site-specific installation offers a sculptural and sensory encounter, encouraging curiosity and self-expression.

McPeake was the last to cast a bell at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The artistry of bells evokes many meanings: celebration, commemoration, a warning, or a notification. They have the power to evoke both joy and urgency and awaken personal memories. The Swiss Church London does not have its own bells. We are therefore presenting the first extended exhibition throughout June this year.

Having lost his sight later in life, McPeake has shaped an artistic practice that proposes a deep dive into the senses through sculptural interventions. He states, “We are not taught to touch, to smell, to taste, to listen; we are taught to observe”. Our senses are our connection to the world around us and have a deep impact on how we feel, interpret and remember. ‘Cube of the Standing Wave’ intends to inspire audiences to appreciate the senses differently, respond to the vibrations that surround us and create a “new way of seeing”.

This exhibition is supported by the Henry Moore Foundation.