We are Time is an ongoing art series exploring the possibility that time and individual existence are not fundamentally separate. Rather than understanding time as an external condition through which beings move, the series considers whether the passage of individual existence might itself be understood as time.
Developed through an inquiry into the nature of time and existence, the series engages with ideas from physics and philosophy.
Beginning with generative artworks and extending into other forms, the series uses visual systems, generative structures, and material processes as means of inquiry. Each work explores different aspects of continuity, multiplicity, perception, and existence, while allowing the questions and directions of the series to evolve through the artistic process.
Figure 1. Three-minute documentation of We are Time, generative artwork.
This video presents a three-minute recorded segment of the generative system. The live work operates in real time at full resolution. This fixed 1080p recording differs in duration, timing precision, and visual fidelity. The canonical presentation of the work is hosted on the artist's website.
The generative artworks mark the beginning of the We are Time series.
Each work presents a grid of colored circles, each representing an individual scene. The horizontal arrangement presents alternative scenes, while the vertical arrangement represents an ordered sequence of scenes. A continuously generated line connects one circle from each row, forming a path through the grid. The screen then changes to a new grid with different colors, and another path begins to form.
Within this hypothetical reality, all scenes are assumed to exist, If all these scenes already exist, how might we understand our experience of the passage of time?
The line suggests the path of an individual existence passing through these scenes. As it passes through each scene, that scene becomes its present moment. The work explores whether this passage might itself be time, and whether the existence passing through the scenes might be what we understand as ourselves. The title We are Time emerges from this possibility.
The works draw inspiration from ideas in physics and philosophy concerning the nature of time and reality, including the block universe and the possibility of multiple realities. Rather than illustrating a particular scientific theory or proposing a definitive explanation, they use this hypothetical structure to explore the relationship between existence and time.
The individual generative works can be accessed through the links below.
* For desktop users: After entering a work, press the Enter key to toggle fullscreen mode.
Figure 2. Visualization of a possible monitor-based presentation of We are Time in an exhibition setting.
Figure 3. Visualization of a possible projection-based presentation of We are Time in an exhibition setting.