The Silence Meal – A Feast of Silent Senses

A long table runs parallel to the exquisite dining hall, flanked by two rows of diners sitting across from each other. A scattered murmur of conversation halts the moment Nina Backman takes her seat. What looks like a regular banquet is a gathering where dining takes a backseat. This two-hour performative dining experience revolves around senses and silence.

The Silence Meal is the brainchild of the Finnish artist Nina Backman. As silence descends, participants tune into the subtle sounds of clinking cutlery and the pouring of wine. Their focus in the moment deepens their sensory awareness and appreciation of the unspoken dialogue of the meal.

The only exchanges across the table are eye contact, gestures, and other non-verbal cues, pulling everyone into a state of introspective sublimity.

Silence Sparks Connection

“Participants are briefed to remain completely silent as soon as I take my seat. I will then provide a clear structure to guide them through the experience,” Backman says.

The two-hour performance varies and is largely dictated by the dynamic of the group. As the performance comes to an end, small talk breaks the silence and quickly flows into deeper conversations that connect everyone in a profound sense.

Silence Meal 2017 at the Nordic House Iceland Photo: Christopher Lund

Nordic Silence is a Human Right

Known for its stillness and serenity, Finland exists in the archipelagic land of sprawling forests interspersed with sparse population.

“When I left Finland to study in the UK, it hit me how important silence and space were to me,” Backman reminisced. “Living in cities like London and Berlin makes silence feel like a rare and precious commodity.”

The Silence Project brings together the concept of silence, and Everyone’s Right—a key Nordic tradition that grants everyone unrestricted access to nature. Silence is a fundamental part of Finnish culture, a shared language that transcends words.

From Indoor Halls to Forests

The Silence Meal project initially served as part of an exhibition held in places like the HIAP residency on Suomenlinna, Finland, where people sat within walls lined with an eclectic mix of artwork.

“I wanted them to experience the art in silence, to feel its presence in a deeper way,” Backman explains.

Over time, the performance evolved, and the Silence Meal morphed into a standalone event, separate from the exhibition. Nina performed it in various settings – from concert halls like Flagey to museums, institutions and even forests.

The Silence Meal takes Nina into the forest on several occasions. Most recently during her collaboration with the Thinking Forest Foundation at the Welna Estate in the Netherlands.

“As much as I love the serenity of the forest, I prefer it indoors, as it intensifies both the silence and human interaction,” Backman says. “Outdoors, no matter how peaceful it feels, there’s always some background noise that can take away the focused atmosphere I aim to create.”

Gastronomy Meets Silence

Although gastronomy is not the core of this immersive art experience, a thoughtfully designed menu engages the senses.

A three-course meal complemented with fine wine is served during the performance. Nina collaborated with Finnish chef Sami Tallberg, the Icelandic chef  Sveinn Kjartansson, and Ulrich Krause, the Berlin-based artist and chef behind the legendary Zagreus Projeckt.

“Each chef has their own specialty in sourcing the finest ingredients and transforming them into a unique culinary experience. For example, Sami brings his expertise in wild herbs, forest ingredients, and foraged mushrooms to create a unique culinary experience,” Backman says. “While most of our menu is vegetarian, we do serve fish occasionally.”

Silence Meal dining table decorated with flowers and plants Photo Albert Mollon

Creating Silence Layers

As the host of the Silence Meal, Nina always takes the head seat to guide the rhythm and pace of the engagement.

“It’s important to create layers of silence, otherwise, it would just be a meal,” she explains.

These layers control the rhythm for participants to not only experience their own silence, but over time coalesce into a unified entity. The transcendence does not always happen, but when it finally manifests, it is truly magical—especially when 30 or more strangers share that rare, collective moment of silence.

“As a contemporary artist, I see the Silence Meal as a performance more than a therapeutic experience,” Nina reveals.

The setting may seem like Nina is the performer and the participants are the experimenting audience, but in reality, Nina is the observer while the audience takes on the performer role.

The Art of Silent Eating

“I have always been asked how eating in silence is a form of art. To me, sharing a meal is a universal act, but when words are removed, the experience transforms entirely—it becomes something different. And this is art.”

What is beautiful and powerful about the Silence Meal is that, in silence, all hierarchies, political views, and religious differences disappear. What remains are fellow human beings, sitting together and sharing a meal in the present moment.

Inherently radical, silence allows as it us to preserve our freedom, stay connected to ourselves, and remain less influenced by external forces. “Silence is the language we all share and can truly understand,” Nina reflects.

Silence Elicits a Spectrum of Reactions

Over the years, this unique silence experience has elicited latent human sentiments in participants. Silence has a way of creeping into your vulnerability, and despite yourself, deep emotions buoy to the surface.

Once, a man suddenly stood up, walked out, screamed, and then returned to the table as if nothing had happened. During a Silence Meal at the Can Reon festival in Barcelona in September 2024, more than 45 strangers almost spontaneously began holding hands in a reverie drawn by the magnetic pull of silence.

“Some people have fallen in love during the Silence Meal. I’ve seen unlikely connections form as people who would never have shared a table come together in silence,” Backman recalls.

“We all know that true silence doesn’t truly exist—there is always some sound—it’s the experience of silence that matters.”

When an art organization, collector, or museum commissions a Silence Meal, they usually invite their own participants. But when it is held in a space open to the public, tickets are sold to anyone interested in joining.

The next Silence Meal will be held at the Finnish Literature Society in Helsinki, Finland, in June 2025.

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