Call to Holy Ground is a multimedia exhibition consisting of a film, a sound work and a two distinct installations displayed in St Andrew's Church and Shri Nathji Sanatan Hindu temple, in Leytonstone in north-east London. Each are contemplative works that address the connections between nature and the spirit that exist in different religious traditions; it tells the story of the 'ground mother' who communes ritualistically with nature to bring about unity. The film (18 mins) explores the materiality of religion, looking at the different ritualistic practices existing in two religious traditions; Christianity broadly conceived and Sanatana dharma, a particular interpretation of Hinduism.
The story of the union of spirit and nature, reflected in the film, is translated into an immersive experience in the sound piece that accompanies visitors to the exhibition on their walk between the temple and church. Either direction of walk is permissible and becomes irrelevant because the spiritual journey is cyclical, not linear. Moreover, the magic of the ritual occurs in nature. The journey occurs on the fringes of Epping Forest and is evocatively described as a sound pilgrimage that encourages poetic contemplation, and the merging of the individual into the collective; atman (the soul) into brahman (the unchanging, eternal spirit). The installations in both places of worship are remnants of the journey undergone but also palpable reminders of...