Collecting Time

In a world where confidence in progress is a must, the speed of this progress is often regarded as the measure of success. Time became twice as precious and slowness is often perceived as counterproductive. While the rhythm of the city often jumps back and forth between fast and slow; open or closed; in motion or paused (which requires effortless resilience that determines the life and well-being of its citizens), the cycle of nature embodies a much slower and steadier pace. Collecting Time aims to address this incessant and unpredictable rhythm of urban life. The snail and its slow movements – often perceived as dull – is one of nature’s many performers to embody this slow but steady pace. With the photographic representation of the snail, enclosed in a blue space (one of nature’s rarest colors, apart from the reflection between water and sky, a few flowers, animals and minerals), and a neon light demanding your attention, Collecting Time aims to reorientate our collective responsibility for rhythm, perception of time and progress by activating our collective awareness for a slower but more stable pace as a form of care. This photographic representation of the snail can be found both in the installation and in various locations in the urban landscape of Liège, faithful to the invasive nature of the animal.