This Clock Before It Existed

Oude Kerk (NL), 2019

Site-specific durational installation, counter-clockwise rotating motor installed on the clock on top of Vater-Müller Organ (1724), 13/08/2019  -  01/11/2019 

Oude Kerk, Amsterdam

For the work I installed a motor on the clock at the top of the Vater-Müller organ in Oude Kerk. Over the course of eleven weeks the clock was rotated backwards the whole duration of its existence. Approximately 300 years back in time. 

During the process I wrote an accompanying publication of text and illustrations where I relate the clock to the Norse legendary saga of Örvar Oddur and his three magical golden arrows, which always hit their mark and always return to the bow. Örvar Oddur lived to be 300 years old and dies, according to prophesy, upon re-turned to his place of birth where he is bitten by a snake.

The publication is written in newest-first order. It consists of seven chapters and four drawings which are then revised in five editions in which a coherent narrative emerges. Reading through the drafted editions left to right the narrative gradually disintegrates and illustrations reduce to abstract scribbles. 

For the finissage, the clock was stopped and started again and is now running nor-mally but telling the time before it existed. During the event I, along with four other performers, read from the accompanying publication from a series of pulpits, each reading a different draft of the same text from different moments in time.