Brainstorm, a draft

Project 1: Time, Loss, and Nature’s Cycles

Our project explores the intertwined concepts of time and loss, focusing on how human actions influence nature’s cycles. Time, in many ways, is a human construct, with our society governed by clocks, calendars, and strict schedules. Historically, people understood time through natural rhythms: the changing of seasons, the rising and setting of the sun. However, industrialization and modern life have shifted our perception of time into something linear and rigid, often disconnected from the natural world.

In nature, time manifests differently. A tree grows rings year by year, rivers flow continuously, leaves change color, and plants decay, giving way to new life. Nature’s cycles reflect a sense of time that is fluid, organic, and often indifferent to human concerns. However, human activity disrupts these natural processes, contributing to the irreversible loss of resources like soil, water, and biodiversity. Desertification, the degradation of land through overuse and mismanagement, is one stark example of this loss.

This installation aims to explore these complex relationships between time, nature, and the irreversible consequences of human actions.

🎨🪜 Materials and Structure

We plan to create several half-hourglasses, suspended from the ceiling, each made from natural, biodegradable materials such as paper mache, cloth, weaved grass, cardboard, and lotus leaves. The hourglasses will not be in traditional shape but with various looks, representing the diversity of natural forms. To add a water-proof layer for some materials, we may apply wax. The falling contents—sand, rocks, dyed water, or ice—will flow at different speeds, echoing the unpredictable nature of time in the natural world. The filling materials will be colored using natural dyes from foods and plants, emphasizing the theme of change and transformation.

The falling materials symbolize both the passage of time and the irreversible loss of natural resources. Viewers are invited to engage with the installation by observing, touching, or even catching the materials. They may also choose to refill the hourglasses, simulating the human attempt to reverse time or restore what has been lost. However, the act of refilling may feel futile, as in reality, certain losses in nature—like desertification—are permanent.

💡Key Themes and Ideas:

• Time in Nature vs. Human Time: How do natural processes perceive and measure time, and how does this differ from the linear, clock-driven time humans rely on? Time in nature isn’t measured in hours or minutes but in growth, decay, and cycles of renewal.
• Loss and Desertification: The installation serves as a metaphor for the loss of resources through human activity. As sand, water, and other materials slip away, they represent how we can’t easily recover what has been lost. This connects directly to issues like desertification, where human actions lead to irreversible damage to ecosystems.
• Human Agency in the Anthropocene: The interaction between viewers and the installation mirrors human attempts to control or reverse damage in the natural world. Just as it can be challenging to refill an hourglass, it can be impossible to fully restore ecosystems that have been altered by human influence.

Interactive and Dynamic Design

The installation is dynamic, so viewers don’t just stare at a static object but experience a process in motion, thus experiencing time itself. The materials falling from the hourglasses represent time passing and resources depleting. By inviting viewers to interact with these elements, we highlight the tension between observing the natural world and trying to influence or change it.

We are considering using different elements to enhance this experience:

• Light or Projection: The movement of light could reflect the passing of time or create shadows that change as materials fall.
• Sound: The sound of falling materials, or even a ticking clock, could heighten the sense of time slipping away.
• Visual Patterns: The falling materials could create patterns on the ground, leaving behind traces, which symbolizes the marks human actions leave on the earth.

Connection to Course Themes