‘The Kingdom of God is Within You’ is a direct reference to Leo Tolstoy’s magnum opus of the same name. The publication was highly influential on a young Gandhi, eventually famous for the advocation of non-violent protests against physical conflict, and of inner spiritual peace. The installation references this with a pun on ‘the spiritual’, that spirituality can take many forms and that religious experiences, as well as alcohol- or drug-induced are often reported as producing moments described as higher states of consciousness, suggesting that they are, experientially, closely related.
As in the commodification of spiritual belief through the fetishisation of religious symbols, it is also a reference to the commodification of creativity through the fetishisation of original creative output, the posthumous transmogrification of artist into consumable-commodity. One of the most recognisable icons in the world is the Christian crucifix, yet, despite its attributed meanings and associations, it is also a highly desirable fashion icon. Images of a mentally unstable Van Gogh with bandaged ear as a result of self-mutilation are readily available to buy on t-shirts, stationery, calendars. The bottle of alcoholic spirits branded ‘Tolstoy’ is also a demonstration of this, the origin and association of the name lost to branding, saleability, consumption.
As in the commodification of spiritual belief through the fetishisation of religious symbols, it is also a reference to the commodification of creativity through the fetishisation of original creative output, the posthumous transmogrification of artist into consumable-commodity. One of the most recognisable icons in the world is the Christian crucifix, yet, despite its attributed meanings and associations, it is also a highly desirable fashion icon. Images of a mentally unstable Van Gogh with bandaged ear as a result of self-mutilation are readily available to buy on t-shirts, stationery, calendars. The bottle of alcoholic spirits branded ‘Tolstoy’ is also a demonstration of this, the origin and association of the name lost to branding, saleability, consumption.
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