Tatjana Reithofer

Shrine of Shifting Sands

This installation at its very core is a struggle with God, exile and the desire to build a spiritual home. Throughout the conception of the work, I sought to redefine my experience of exile and diaspora through the lense of my Christian faith. During my meditations, the desire to challenge the biblical texts became the goal of my thesis and to truly create work that is exegetical. Exegetical meaning a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture. Using my cross-cultural experience and upbringing as the backdrop for this theological dialogue, I began unpacking scripture and exploring their concepts and propositions. Shrine of Shifting Sands deals exclusively with the Parable of the two Builders. Within this parable, there is a contradiction and tension between and the solidity and the fluidity. Yet in this favouring of solid foundations as portrayed in the favouring of the builder who builds his home on stone, I sensed the shadow of what solidity leads to: rigidity and stagnation. One loses the desire to renew their vision, expanding their sense of self and search for new modes of being. Taking into account my own lived experience, I became aware of this fallacy. A fallacy that is is employed by many of the Christian Faith. To have our foundations built on stone is to be married to old and outdated beliefs and modes of being. From my own explorations, foundations built on sand are emblematic of those who are willing to change and who hold their ideas and beliefs lightly. It is my hope that this installation inspires others to do their own soul-searching and find their own routes to spirituality, regardless of their beliefs.