SHANTI DES FOURS

Waking the Gods reflects the artist’s personal reckoning with spirituality in the face of global crises. Drawing from her religious childhood, the installation features a motorised ritual bell plucked directly from her mother’s mantle. The bell rings when approached, a practice rooted in her childhood where bells were rung to summon the gods and alert them to our presence. This small but urgent sound serves as a metaphor for the artist’s longing to rouse spiritual forces in a world confronted by overwhelming ecological and humanitarian disaster.

The bell rings for only a few seconds before falling silent, reflecting the dichotomy between anxiety and apathy in the face of crises that feel insurmountable. By automating the bell, the artist seeks to sustain her efforts to stay engaged and address these disasters, using automation as a way to push back against the inertia caused by the relentless demands of daily life.

As viewers approach and trigger the bell, they are invited to consider their own relationships with spirituality and the complex balance between hope, powerlessness, and inaction. Waking the Gods serves as a meditation on the desire for divine intervention, the limits of human effort, and the role of faith in navigating overwhelming circumstances.