A mix of biblical symbolism and dreamlike Cli-fi, Christopher Ruane’s Cursed Is The Ground asks many questions. Are the divers seeking knowledge or survival, meaning or power? An onlooker peers through an enclosure lined with 40 hash marks, perhaps counting the days of his ordeal. In the meticulously rendered world beyond the window, tendrils of lightening sprout from the tree, defying the laws of nature and keeping the seekers at arms length. Is this the last tree on earth, or the first? This world is engulfed in water, implying a circumstance in which humankind could not exist without assistance. Although the divers appear tranquil, greater forces are at play. The portal reveals a hidden eye with the tree at its center, demonstrating the connectivity between nature, the human condition, and spirituality. (Statement written by curator Ellen Murphy and artist Christopher Ruane)