the only immutable thing is the abstraction of movement – mors immortalis. - Karl Marx, The Poverty of Philosophy.
'Immutable Instant' is a mixed-media project that features a video installation, 30 sets of images on tape, and a text presented in a lecture performance. This work continues an ongoing inquiry into the concept of "universal history" and its underlying concept of time.
In his article "Time and History: Critique of the Instant and the Continuum," Giorgio Agamben asserts that "every conception of history is invariably accompanied by a certain experience of time that is implicit in it, conditions it, and must therefore be elucidated." He further states, "The original task of a genuine revolution is never merely to change the world, but also – and above all – to change time." Following Agamben's call to examine the relationship between time along with history, I analysed the various conceptions of time that have accompanied the trajectory of "universal history" and have shaped it. This work elucidates the complex progressions of history—from Greek civilisation to the fall of the Berlin Wall—and argues that these developments have led to an abstract concept of time, resulting in a sense of alienation in both social and personal lives.
The video's key element is a flickering pattern, which it uses to visualize historical concepts of time. This pattern is demonstrated through a dot that flickers in a specific rhythm and pattern over time, creating a structured chronological sequence of the historical periods. Through its minimalistic and formal depiction, the work intensifies the abstraction and highlights the effects of historical progression on our experience of time.
This video installation also accompanies as series of videos in a single channel screen. This series in a sequence captures historical patterns of time in the flickering lights around me, whether on roads, university campuses, or at friends' houses.
The series of images seeks to capture historical patterns in the flickering lights around me, whether on roads, university campuses, or at friends' houses. Each image is a still taken from a video, with two stills captured for each: one when the lights are on and one when they are off during their flickering. These images were transferred onto tape to add translucency and are displayed back-to-back on the glass of a door. By transferring the image onto the glass using tape, I could retain the pigment and scrape off the paper base. Through this process, the images subtly highlight their nature as either pigment or light.
Display at first draft pop-up show #4, Max Muller Bhavan, Delhi
Display at first draft pop-up show #4, Max Muller Bhavan, Delhi
Display at first draft pop-up show #4, Max Muller Bhavan, Delhi
The project features a lecture performance scheduled for February 9th, 2025, at Max Muller Bhavan in Delhi. During this performance, I presented a text that thoroughly explored the various conceptions of time that have emerged across the historical periods, from Greek civilization to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Additionally, the video accompanied the lecture, displaying flickering dot patterns that represent each stage in this timeline.
Lecture performance at first draft pop-up show #4, Max Muller Bhavan, Delhi
discussion at first draft pop-up show #4, Max Muller Bhavan, Delhi
This project took shape from an extensive discussion with CAMP studio (link) and was showcased in thefirst draft pop-up show #4.
