God Willing - Shipton

Eternal Flames, 30cm x 22 cm, ceramic, beeswax Greek Orthodox church candles, 2024

The pursuit of the divine in the digital age remains a significant area of inquiry, as we navigate the complexities of contemporary compulsions to devote ourselves to something greater: an impulse that coexists with a relentless consumption of media, dogmatic structures, and iterations of a daily bread that has staled. Showcasing artists with varied relationships to Catholicism-from Irish, Italian, Greek Orthodox, and Chinese perspectives-the 'God Willing' group show will seek to interrogate both of these urges, within the context of devotional institutions that both tether and bind, returning to the foundational principles of faith. Catholic regalia and religious iconography are reimagined through the intersecting lenses of queerness, digital culture, and embodiment, offering a critical reconstruction of sacred symbols, practices, and holy texts.