EJ Hill's Durational Performance at 52 Walker Explores Devotion and Resistance

At 52 Walker in New York, EJ Hill presents a solo exhibition titled 'Low-slung Promises on the Tongues of the Devout,' on view through September 13. The centerpiece features Hill kneeling in sustained silence behind burgundy velvet curtains during gallery hours, marking his return to durational performance after seven years. This act creates a private, chapel-like environment where visitors can glimpse the artist through a narrow gap or enter from the back. Four framed works from the series 'Vigil' (all 2025) hang nearby, each mounting eight church kneeler pads vertically; one pad per composition bears deep knee impressions, archiving acts of spiritual submission. Hill, a Black queer artist raised Catholic, employs physical endurance to interrogate how marginalized subjects reclaim joy within oppressive systems. The exhibition includes two neon works: 'Symbol for a Stylite' references fifth-century ascetics on pillars, while 'Symbol for an Anchorite' nods to medieval hermits. Unlike these historical figures seeking isolation, Hill's confinement fosters collective recognition. Acrylic and ink paintings of flowers and clouds provide vivid contrast to the performance's austerity, suggesting refusal and ecstasy exist in generative tension. The show argues that Hill's endurance subverts traditional salvation narratives, transforming kneeling from penance into a method of claiming joy.