Body of Time

Numerical clocks often negate our subjective experience of time. Age, mood, activity and geography are amongst the many factors shaping our empirical relation to timekeeping. This project is part of a series of 3 clocks, each embodying a different realm of time: light, space and body.

The piece is a clock that requires one’s body to complete it. The viewer places his arm into an elevated box equipped with a camera. The camera registers the presence of the body part and projects its image 3 times onto a circular shape on the adjacent wall to form the clock’s arms. Processing stores each “clock”. When the box is empty, the collection of 9 different clocks/arms are projected on the wall, leaving a blank circle at the bottom to entice the next user.

The installation was exhibited at the ITP Winter Show 2010. The clocks created during that day were stored in this Clocks Gallery.

Specs:
Processing, webcam, projector, fluorescent tubes, backlight material, wooden structure.