InTime (Moscow)

joint art project
Sergey Katran (Russia) and Ekaterrina Sisfontes (Sweden)
CCI Fabrika, Moscow, Russia
2013

In their collaborative endeavor titled “InTime,” the Russian conceptual artist Sergei Katran and Swedish artist Ekaterina Sisfontes embark on a philosophical exploration of time, delving into its multifaceted interpretations across diverse cultures.

The project “InTime” propels its spectators into alternate dimensions, akin to the enchanting world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Yet, concurrently, it offers a “post-historical” encounter, evoking the realization that amidst our segmented existence, down to nanoseconds, the unity and integrity of John Cage’s “4’33”” prevail.

Sergei Katran and Ekaterina Sisfontes orchestrate this project as a creative dialogue, one where the conventional notion of “playing by the rules” metamorphoses into visions emblematic of the contemporary era. Here, nonlinear equilibrium reigns supreme, intertwining with impromptu expressions. “InTime” stands as a testament to the artist’s perpetual engagement with time, a revelation of vulnerability and selflessness in uncovering the latent intricacies of temporal dynamics, inseparably interwoven with our spatial existence.

Sergei Katran, an inventive artist, engineers “machines” capable of compressing or elongating time. Examples include the “Time Gravity Seal” and “The Wheel of Time,” alongside other interactive objects and installations.

Ekaterina Sisfontes deciphers time as an illusory perception that humanity has grappled with throughout its history. Within this project, she transposes her experience with micro-objects onto a macroscopic scale.

The “InTime” project designates a distinct juncture, one demanding our civilization to assimilate novel frames of reference. This juncture flickers, altering its position as it evades predictable confines, perpetually expanding until it metamorphoses into a wave. These configurations dissect into elemental particles, culminating in the focalization of the Fibonacci series. This journey constructs paradoxical proportions, casting doubt upon the assertion that reality adheres solely to the “cause-effect” paradigm. Sergei Katran’s “Time Machines,” poised in orbital motions, trace circular trajectories, accumulating energy before diffusing it in due time, averting impending catastrophe. Ekaterina Sisfontes, in dialogue with Sergei Katran’s creations, endows time with distinct linearity, a trajectory that compels her to revisit prior phases while constantly pressing forward.

In this creative partnership, the European convention of time measurement melds harmoniously with the Eastern Buddhist concept of the wheel, forging an intersection between realms of eternity.

Curator “InTime” (Moscow): Vitalij Patsyukov.

Sergey Katran, a distinguished Russian artist, operates at the intriguing intersection of art and science. Hailing from Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region, he was born in 1970 and has been based in Moscow since 1993. Katran’s artistic repertoire predominantly comprises three-dimensional creations that, in contrast to convention, remain decidedly dynamic. These interactive artworks seamlessly engage with their viewers, enacting his strategic vision aptly named “Random Art.”

His artistic journey has seen significant milestones, including participation in the third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. He contributed to the biennale’s special project, “sleeping area,” and further marked his presence through the international endeavor, “Night of Museums 2010,” hosted by The State Tretyakov Gallery within the exhibition titled “Art Sanatorium.” A notable highlight from his portfolio is the inaugural rendition of his creation “Gravitational Time Seal – 1,” first unveiled in 2010.

Furthermore, Katran’s expansive creativity materialized into the comprehensive exhibition installation titled “the sleeping area. Open class.” His recent endeavors culminated in the realization of “The Chairs of Fibonacci,” a captivating installation showcased in the exhibition “Visual Scores for the Anniversary of the Composer Vladimir Martynov.” This exhibition found its home at the esteemed State Center for Contemporary Art of Russia.

The exhibition space at Project Fabrika spanned an expansive area of 513 square meters with a soaring height of 6 meters.

Established in 2004, PROEKT_FABRIKA holds the distinction of being Moscow’s pioneering independent, non-profit organization dedicated to contemporary visual arts. The project boasts an impressive repertoire encompassing over 700 square meters of exhibition spaces, an international residency program, and an additional 1000 square meters designed to host a diverse array of cultural and social engagements, including dance performances, theatrical productions, and music concerts. Initially conceived to curate collective exhibitions, the project’s scope has since evolved to embrace the promotion of cultural and intellectual diversity through the global presentation of contemporary art and culture.

A pivotal turning point came in 2008, when our center joined the esteemed ranks of Trans Europe Halls – an expansive European network of independent cultural centers.

Ekaterina Sisfontes (Sweden)

Approximately 20 functional Foucault Pendulums exist in the world today, each embodying a profound pursuit of understanding.

Researchers have meticulously scrutinized both our existence and the world surrounding us. Their efforts have encompassed measurements, calculations, and the subsequent formulation of conclusions.

From these conclusions, they ventured to posit that we are ensnared within a preordained reality, a world meticulously arranged long before our individual inception. Many of us acquiesced to their propositions without resistance. Over countless years, they diligently sought corroborative evidence to underpin their assumptions, weaving an intricate web of unverified facts to lend credence to their theories. Yet, despite their proclamations that time is non-linear, we find ourselves bereft of the much-coveted time machine.

Regrettably, some of their theories remain bereft of practical utility.

Hence, the elaborate formulas and explanations they offer crumble like sand dispersed upon the dunes of our skepticism. The inquiry is not one of mere existence; rather, it centers on queries of identity and place—questions that persist unanswered: Who am I? Where am I? Where do I stand?

Meanwhile, scientists persist in their pursuits, vigorously pressing against the solid walls of conservatism, endeavoring to solidify their conjectures into established dogmas, even as the essence of uncertainty continues to linger.

A MINUTE

Iron, glass, forging

TIME IS MONEY

Iron, photography, forging

This notion aligns itself with a fundamental temporal concept: economics.

Embedded within our beliefs is the notion that every moment of our exertions warrants compensation.

Might it be opportune, then, to usher in a currency intrinsically linked to temporal intervals?

Could we not transact using currency denominated in units of printed time?

Yet, let us acknowledge the distinct values we ascribe to the time of diverse individuals.

For certain individuals, a single hour may warrant a larger unit, while for others, a smaller unit may suffice.

A complex interplay of trading, speculation, and savings transpires, all within the framework of temporal units, which ultimately dissolve upon the culmination of designated periods.

Does this not encapsulate the emergence of an entirely new economic paradigm?

A SECOND

Iron, Plexiglas, forging, photography

The capacity encapsulated within a single second remains an enigma, elusive to our comprehension. Consider the intricacies of your own movements. How long does it truly require to raise a hand, take a seat, or alleviate an itch? The allure of commonplace motions often eludes our notice as familiarity breeds mastery of their mechanics. Only the nascent existence of newborns affords them the luxury to wholeheartedly invest their attention in the endeavor of navigating through the expanse of an indefinitely prolonged second of exploration.

AN HOUR

Iron, enameled bidet, forging, Plexiglass

Our world becomes demarcated into segments by the mechanisms of timekeeping. We stride in tandem with the minuscule hand traversing the clock’s face. A dozen hours precede and a dozen hours succeed the midday meal. The Babylonian accounting, an indelible imprint, persists in our cognitive fabric. Divided into halves, the day unfurls as a wheel bearing twelve markers, wherein the protracted sweep of the long hand goads the short one to hasten forward in a flustered frenzy. Hence, we are captive to these rhythmic pulses, orchestrating our agendas according to the hour’s script. The audible beat, resonating with every leap of the short hand, propels us instantaneously through time and space, relegating preceding intervals to insignificance. Yet, it appears peculiar when nightfall is predicted at eighteen hours, while daybreak is unequivocally linked to the numeral seven. Do we not unwittingly submit ourselves as servants to the chronometer’s dominion? Pardon me, what is the present time? – It is the culmination of 1267 sunlit droplets since its inception…

THE FIELD OF TIME

Iron, forging, acryl

We must acknowledge our complete submission to the faintest decree of the hour. Our existence is willingly surrendered to the relentless discourse of the timepiece’s mechanism. We gaze at its numerals every thirty minutes in anticipation of significant events, and it promptly approaches our eyes during periods of anxiety. Establishing a reference point, we segment the year into four seasons, further dissecting it into a dozen months. A year encompassing fifty-two weeks, each consisting of seven days, then further divided into twenty-four hours, which in turn are once more fractured into sixty equal portions. This cycle repeats, over and over again… And all the while, designations are assigned, definitions are forged, descriptions are constructed, and counts ensue – incessant counting. Who can discern whether this foundational grinding of time laid the groundwork for the origins of our despondencies and disillusionments? And who can fathom the possibility that if we suddenly relinquish the ceaseless tallying, we might just navigate the currents of time, unhindered and unburdened, traversing its ebbs and flows with unrestrained freedom…

Ekaterina Sisfontes A DAY

Iron, lamp, forging, 2011 (changed)

When placed upon an alien world, a startling realization takes root: our fixation on a diminutive, golden speck on the skyline stands fundamentally misconstrued. We partitioned time into discrete units by assiduously tracking our own provincial star. Its ceaseless regularity, as it steadfastly reclaims its position on the horizon, has permitted us to heedlessly cleave the continuum of time into years, months, days, hours, minutes, seconds… Stubbornly, we disregard the constraints imposed by our astronomical circumstance, willingly averting our gaze and muffled our hearing. Thus, we remain entrapped, circumscribing the world as the confined expanse encircling our immediate selves.

ZERO of Time

Concrete

Just as an orange is segmented, our perception of the minuscule globe named Earth traverses the vastness of space. With each stride into a new realm, the abbreviated hand of the clock twitches restlessly in tandem with our motion. Yet, at times, we take a step backward, a smile in tow. Embarking from Moscow to Tokyo, the day seems to stretch into an eternity. Journeying from Moscow to Stockholm, we alight 45 minutes ahead. We dial our cherished New York confidant amidst the nocturnal hours to utter, “Good morning.” However, two sanctuaries on Earth remain immune to the dictates and constraints of numbered time. At the poles, our comprehension of time dissolves. I invite you to center yourself in this domain, where both commencement and conclusion coalesce. Here, there is space for swiftness and lag, encapsulating time’s quintessence in its utmost nullity.

Wasted Time

Iron, Plexiglass, forging

Bestowed with a finite lease on our corporeal existence, we recklessly fling countless hours to the wind. Cast into the air, they vanish irretrievably, akin to refuse deposited into a bin. Only moments later, regret creeps in, followed by a litany of justifications for evading meaningful pursuits. At times, ensnared by circumstances, we languish in interminable queues to procure utterly inconsequential commodities. Hours are squandered in gridlocked traffic, and we tenaciously quarrel over trivialities with our stairwell neighbors. We fritter away time on insignificances, frivolous trifles that amount to naught. In the modern societal context, it is incumbent upon us all to sift through our everyday detritus. Consider, for instance, the proposal of a remedy. An ingenuous receptacle designed for temporal waste could usher in a poignant solution.

THE ENTROPY OF TIME

Video

The inherent futility in our utilization of an ostensibly uncomplicated and ubiquitous concept like time is inexorable. We surge through existence in a relentless quest for happiness, ease, and societal gains. Amidst this tumultuous expedition, the true destination comes into focus. Through ceaseless iterations, we amass a reservoir of experiences. Yet, neither the genesis of our current state nor the ultimate purpose of human existence has ever been definitively ascertained.

Deprived of any unequivocal roadmap to efficiency and efficacy, we find ourselves navigating without a fixed compass. Confronting this internal blindness, we seize the reins with unyielding resolve, navigating the uncharted expanse of our enigmatic fate.

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Sergei Katran (Russia)

THE CRYSTALS OF TIME

Aquariums, Hourglasses, Electrical Power

Aquariums brimming with water serve as reservoirs for preserving “crystals of time,” commonly known as hourglasses. Research has unveiled that the time-indicating efficacy of these crystals, left submerged in regular distilled water for a minimum of 24 hours, experiences an augmentation of approximately 20%.

GRAVITATIONAL TIME SEAL 1 (GTS1)

Hourglasses, Plexiglass

The installation features a captivating arrangement wherein the movement of sand (composed of silica) across 144 hourglasses can be meticulously observed. Each compartment of sand within these hourglasses is calibrated to signify a span of 10 minutes.

Remarkably, the product of multiplying 144 by 10 minutes culminates in 24 hours, the duration of a full day. Consequently, the Gravitational Time Seal-1 ingeniously encapsulates an entire day within a mere 10-minute interval.

THE WHEEL OF TIME

Hourglass, Gypsum, Engine, 2011

The creation of the “Wheel of Time” emerged as a natural progression from our ongoing investigations involving the Gravitational Time Seal (GTS1) – an experimental time-altering construct. Surprisingly, during the evaluation of the apparatus, we observed a distinct disparity between the two. Unlike the GTS1, the “Wheel of Time” does not condense time; instead, it expels any excess time into the surrounding atmosphere.

Intriguingly, empirical observations revealed that standing before the “Wheel of Time” for a mere 10 minutes affords the viewer an astounding surplus of 24 hours of additional time. This revelation consequently inspired the notion that the compression and expansion of time are indeed feasible and potentially attainable.

THE OBELISK WITH CUCKOO BIRD

Artificial stone, plastic, mechanical cuckoo, motion detector

The artifact serves as a quintessential intergalactic catalyst, propelling the spasmodic evolution of carbon and silicon-based humanoid life forms. Evidently, the growth observed on the “obelisk” tinder fungus suggests a prolonged period of stasis, where the object’s cosmic wanderings have been temporarily suspended. The enigmatic communication conveyed through the cuckoo remains veiled, concealing its underlying significance from our understanding.

COMBAIN-02

Electrical engine, calendars, audio system

Paper calendars flutter by, fleetingly displaying the count of days. In their passing, they prompt us to ponder: What occupied our hours today? What engaged us yesterday and beckons tomorrow? How do we invest our invaluable time? In response to these queries, renowned figures in the realm of contemporary art, as well as the artist’s close kin, contribute insights. They employ texts extracted from the “home calendar,” aligned with the birthdays of family members, to offer their perspectives.