One of a Billion Years
2016
...
Manuel Abendroth, Jérôme Decock, Els Vermang
abstract
From a simple construct emerge almost infinite variations—words, sequences and texts—each a matter of probability and time. The artwork connects measured time with phenomenological experience, situating us within this field of possibilities.
dimensions
one of a Billion Days (28 A0 frames + 7books)
one of a Billion Years (365 A4 frames + 100 books of 365 pages)
material
...
project text
<h2 class="font_2">When we think about time, we can refer to the sun, the tides, the stars, radioactive decay, any of which allows the measurement of its pulse, dimension, and essence. This artwork uses a 16 segments display to show much more than just alphanumeric symbols, but instead the closely infinite combinations of its segments: 2e180 =1532495540865888858358347027150309183618739122183602176. Out of this simple construct, almost infinite variations are emerging up to a point that includes words, sequences of words, texts, all of them being just a matter of probabilities, of time. If one of these random combinations is displayed per hour, it would take more time than the human existence on earth to show them all. Based on this rate, each one of the 365 frames on the wall shows the results of one day, while the entire wall corresponds to a year. This set up is completed by 100 books of 365 pages each, corresponding to the scale of a century, the span of our lifetime. By doing so, the artwork relates the measurement of time to phenomenology, while situating us within this realm.</h2>
history