A new exhibition in Los Angeles is asking viewers to slow down and sit with moments that often go unnoticed.

“Weight of Stillness,” a series of photographic works and a short film by Justin Bettman, opened April 9 at INTERVAL, focusing on everyday domestic scenes suspended in time.

The exhibition centers on familiar situations such as sitting at a table, preparing food or watching television, but removes clear narrative resolution. Instead, the images hold subjects in a state of pause, emphasizing tension between action and inaction.

“I’m interested in the moments where nothing is happening, but something is clearly present,” Bettman said. “Those in-between states tend to reveal more than action itself.”

The works are set in carefully constructed interiors, where lighting and composition heighten the sense of stillness. Warm highlights contrast with cooler shadows, while everyday objects such as furniture and food ground the scenes in realism even as they feel slightly altered.

A short film, presented on a continuous loop, extends the concept into motion. Rather than resolving the scenes, it reinforces the sense of suspension and duration that runs throughout the exhibition.

“These are images that don’t resolve. You find yourself looking longer, trying to understand what’s happening, and that’s exactly the point. The scenes feel familiar, but something is always slightly off, and that tension is what holds your attention,” said Mark Hampton.

Individual works such as “Dinner,” “Bellman” and “Mom” place subjects in quiet, contained moments that resist completion. In “Dinner,” two figures sit across from each other with gestures paused mid-action, while “Bellman” presents a solitary figure waiting behind a reception desk. Other works, including “Couch,” “TV” and “Solo Dinner,” extend that stillness into scenes of observation and isolation.

Across the series, Bettman positions his subjects in what he describes as in-between states, where gestures are initiated but never finished. The result is a body of work that invites viewers to linger, observing subtle shifts in atmosphere and presence rather than following a defined storyline.

The exhibition also reflects a broader trend in contemporary visual culture toward constructed image-making, where staged environments blur the line between reality and artifice.

“Weight of Stillness” runs at INTERVAL, 2522 W Sunset Blvd., with a selection of works available as editioned prints.