Time Is Subjective
Team
Design Team:
_Carlos Gris / Claudia Rivera / Kholoud Sharafi / Reem Al Ghaith / Tinkah
Videography & Photography:
_Carlos Gris / Ed Groves / Ed Reeves
Construction:
_Matter
Supporting Bodies:
_Office of Public & Cultural Diplomacy / UAE Embassy in the UK
Created for the London Design Biennale at Somerset House & following the theme ‘Emotional States’, each design team had to develop a concept surrounding a given country.
Our concept ‘Time is Subjective’ elevates the UAE’s primary texture, desert sand, into the controllable element of passing time. Whilst time and the symbol of the hourglass is a universal measure, it can be an extremely individual speed depending on your emotional state. To some the installation will appear daunting and finite whilst with others it will feel soft and natural.
The source of inspiration for our installation was the speed of change throughout the seven Emirates. 7 Rows of 10 hourglasses appear suspended in mid-air within the vaulted mezzanine space. The 7 rows rotate in a wave as if supporting each other to push forward and depict the UAE in a constant state of motion. The number of hourglasses also act as a monument to the most important decade in the UAE’s history. The 70’s marked its unification and its all-encompassing transformation.