Brand writer Nick Carson has joined forces with NB Studio and SEA on a one-off artwork for the Bloomsbury Festival’s 26 Bridges project – a palindromic poem-turned-distorting mirror that flips meaning and perception to raise funds for NHS skin cancer care.
A two-metre-tall distorting mirror inspired by one of London’s most iconic river crossings is set to go under the hammer this month, and it’s turning more than just heads.
Titled Conversion, the piece has been created by brand writer Nick Carson and design consultancies NB Studio and SEA as part of 26 Bridges, a creative project from writers’ organisation 26 for Bloomsbury Festival 2025. The artwork will be auctioned on 16 October, with proceeds funding a specialist clinical nurse for skin cancer patients at University College London Hospitals (UCLH).
At first glance, Conversion is a striking object in its own right. The custom-made mirror stands 200cm tall, crafted in France by Julien Vidame of Vidame Éditions. What’s written on it and how those words behave is what makes this piece truly special, though.
Running down the centre is a palindromic poem, written by Nick, that shifts meaning depending on which way it’s read. Words like “vice”, “vision”, “muse” and “divine” morph from sacred to secular, reflecting the historic and cultural evolution of the area around the Millennium Bridge, the site that inspired the work.
“The title operates on multiple levels,” says Nick. “There’s religious conversion, from Catholicism to Protestantism, and individual spiritual experience.
“There’s architectural conversion – Bankside Power Station becoming Tate Modern – and there’s the broader transformation of Bankside from a historic den of iniquity to a cultural hub.”
The mirror’s playful distortions nod to the bridge’s original nickname (“the wobbly bridge”) while the typesetting itself mimics the flow of the Thames, with a meandering gutter running down the middle of the text. Because the surface is uneven, traditional screen-printing wasn’t an option. Instead, vinyl specialists Omni Colour painstakingly applied the words in matt-silver lettering, giving the poem a fluid, reflective quality.
The collaboration between Nick and the two studios was no accident. Both SEA and NB Studio are equidistant from Millennium Bridge on opposite banks of the river, creating a neat geographical symmetry that mirrors the duality explored in the text.
“The project is all about connection and shifting perspectives,” says Bryan Edmondson, creative director at SEA. “It’s a reminder that meaning isn’t fixed – it depends on where you’re standing.”
Alan Dye, creative director at NB Studio, agrees: “We loved the challenge of translating a poetic idea into a physical piece. The distortions, the typography, even the production process – everything became part of the metaphor.”
Conversion is one of 26 artworks commissioned for the 26 Bridges initiative, each created by pairing a writer with a visual artist or designer and assigning them one of London’s Thames crossings. The project began with The Great London Bridges Walk in September 2024, which raised enough money to fund a clinical nurse specialist at UCLH’s Cotton Rooms. This year’s auction aims to secure funding for a second year of that vital role, helping patients navigate the transition from diagnosis to treatment.
The auction is already live online, culminating in a live-streamed event on 16 October. And for those who want to see Conversion in person, it will also be presented at 26’s annual Wordstock conference on 18 October at Conway Hall.
For Nick, a former design journalist turned brand writer, the project represents the best of both worlds, merging creativity with real-world impact. “It’s about using words and design not just to provoke thought, but to do some tangible good,” he says.
Whether read left to right or right to left, sacred or secular, Conversion offers a poetic reminder of the power of perspective and how creativity can bridge divides—whether they’re literal or metaphorical—in the service of something bigger.
