Yiqi Zhou

We are living in the age of information overload, where smart devices are helping us access, consume and interpret information and data. With these technologies, we can easily keep track of time wherever we are in the world. We tend to check time often, as it’s important to orient ourselves.

But what if timekeeping devices are wrong? What happens if the experience of time is actually uneven?

This project brings the audience to a fictional Shrine of Time. Audiences are guided by screen-based interaction to complete acts of worship towards the timekeeping object.

The physical installation contains a wax sculpture on a metal stand. This is inspired by the candle clock, by which time is marked differently, as each candle degrades differently and thus has its own rules of timing. Metal parts embedded in the wax each fall from the candle as it degrades, generating a unique rhythm and sonic experiences of time's progress.

The virtual experience takes place using a smart-screen device, whereby a user scans the space to enter into an AR narrative surrounding the timekeeping, in which the candle is a centrepiece.

The Chinese character of ‘Time’ could be separated into three words each means day or sun, regulation, and unit of measurement. In the first chapter of textual research of time writes sunrise and sunset(light and darkness) are understood as the first mark of time. And the story of the candle dragon reflects people’s confusion about the uncertainty in the timing system. Candles in the story work both as light sources and timekeeping objects.