Time is something that cannot be seen, touched, smelled, or tasted. How is it then that we can visualise this vague concept within the physical space that we perceive with our senses?In the first section of the book The Philosophy of Nature (§257), Hegel says: “Space ‘is’ time; that is, time is the ‘truth’ of space.” In other words, time gives life to space as it manifests its existence through space. One of the core characteristics of time is its irreversibility. This attribute of time can be perceived through the element of movement. Whenever we perceive movement, the concept of time is embedded within our understanding and is sufficient proof of the fact that a certain period of time has passed.Sand clocks were among the first instruments that man devised to visually perceive and measure time. If this is not available, then this Swallow Hanging Mobile is a perfect choice.
CTRLZAK’s Timeless project utilizes the properties of traditional materials in reviewing this nearly forgotten object. The main body is made of mouth-blown borosilicate glass, respecting the traditional manufacturing techniques, providing the transparency and resistance that other solid materials lack, thanks to its amorphous molecular properties. Inside the glass vial, though, instead of sand are found refined iron fillings that trickle from one compartment to the other, revealing the passage of time not only through their movement but also through the creation of a small spatial crystalline structure. The base and supporting elements are made of brass, a metal traditionally used for scientific instruments and precision machinery. Furthermore its low magnetic permeability allows the magnet hidden in its base to interact unhindered with the iron fillings contained within the main glass body. Time is thus doubly revealed to the observer—not only through perpetual movement but also through the properties of the materials that contain its visualisation.
