A matter of time

The light installation A matter of time explores the topic of time and its measurability. It addresses our time system based on the rotation of celestial bodies, which organizes and structures our everyday life into exact units of time.
The work consists of a minimalist geometric form and a light channel. The light channel is mounted on the sculptural form by means of a motor and a wire rope sheave and is digitally triggered by an interface. Analogous to the rotation of the solar system around its centre (also called galactic year), the light channel rotates 360 degrees around the sculpture within 225 million years – a movement that can only be comprehended theoretically but never in a real way.
In dealing with this temporal dimension, A matter of time questions the time system, juxtaposing it with the individual perception of time. Contrary to everyday situations in which we become permanently aware of the passage of time through changes, A matter of time alludes to an experience of time that manifests itself only in thinking about time. The reference to the solar system reflects the original form of time determination, which was based on the movement of celestial bodies, forming the basis of today’s time measurements.