Annual Residency Theme: Time ╳ Narrative
In his poem Two Billion Light-Years of Solitude, Japanese poet Shuntaro Tanikawa writes from the perspective of a poet drifting within the vast cosmos. The "two billion light-years" signifies humanity’s cognitive grasp of the universe’s scale while projecting an immense imagination of time itself. Tanikawa’s view of time captures its boundlessness and solitude in relation to human existence, the interplay between the ephemeral moment and eternity, and the intricate tie between life and its eventual fading. Time is portrayed as something both expansive and unmeasurable, yet inextricably linked to human experience. It is not merely a physical measurement, but a vital sensation—a state of being that eludes complete articulation.
In the contemporary context, time is no longer seen just as a linear flow; it can be folded, recurred, and reconfigured. Human experience is no longer understood through a singular narrative or documentation, but is recounted through fragments, leaps, and reconstructions. Thus, time becomes a scene that can be observed, choreographed, and reinvented. "Time ╳ Narrative" attempts to examine individual and collective temporal experiences, contemplating how such experiences unfold through multi-layered narratives. These narratives encompass the transformation of people and cities, the fluid migration of communal and cultural memory, and even the relationship between sensory perception and the everyday. They also embody an imagination that bridges the past and the future, the known and the unknown, suggesting a continuous loop of eternal return.
"Time ╳ Narrative" does not seek to propose a single, definitive perspective on time. Instead, it invites us into a multi-faceted spectrum of temporality to reposition our own existence. As narratives are reopened, time is allowed to flow in diverse ways, enabling us to re-apprehend our own temporal trajectories and re-establish our connections with the external world and with one another.
