In Search of the Promised Land forces the viewer to experience the fracture line between poverty and luxury through the slow transformation of materials. It contains themes of life, death and resurrection continued from her previous work. The installation raises subtle questions about the effects of displacement on identity and hope. It makes us uneasy about the flimsy co-existence between worlds of poverty and privilege in our own culture.
The cathedral itself becomes part of the exhibition, providing a contemplative space for the viewer to consider the work. The installation inhabits the physical place, a place of worship, to allude to the spiritual and compels the viewer to consider matters beyond their immediate concerns. The title of the work places it in a current context but at the same time links to an older, enduring historical narrative. The exhibition also coincides with Christian Aid week, which, this year, focuses on developed countries efforts to eradicate poverty in the majority world. All this provides a background to the exhibitions key question: how can poverty be addressed, whether in Zimbabwe or in Cumbria?