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Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Japan Architecture News - Oct 31, 2016 - 13:38   20993 views

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Nendo presented its new site-specific exhibition 'Slice of Time' for the Italian luxury watchmaker Panerai. Nendo's design is inspired by the concept of time and by the interaction between time and design. 

Set within Spiral Gallery, the exhibition was made of a transparent 'empty-shell' like clock that offers condensed characteristics of the Panerai brand, which consists of hour markers using one-stroke numerals and square-shaped cases.

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Takumi Ota  

The design was then elongated to a 16m length using the extrusion molding process. A clock was then manually made by slicing this “empty-shell clock” piece by piece, turning them into a finished product for the visitors to take home. 

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Takumi Ota 

Clocks of various proportions were created naturally since the “ages” of the visitors were converted into “millimetres”. A circular atelier space was set up for each production stage such as “polishing”, “sandblasting” and “assembling”. 

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Takumi Ota 

The gradual formation of the clock while these spaces engaged and interlocked bore a resemblance to a “gearwheel of a watch”. The clock is created at a pace of one every 5 minutes. The long and narrow "empty-shell like clock” becomes shorter, by being sliced one by one, over the duration of the exhibition, and the installation is complete when it disappears. 

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Takumi Ota 

In other words, the” empty-shell like clock” is an apparatus that enables time to be perceived like an hourglass. By reducing “time” to “length” which is similar to “selling time by measure”, people can experience time, and what is more can “take back their own time”.

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Takumi Ota 

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Takumi Ota 

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Takumi Ota 

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Takumi Ota 

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Akihiro Yoshida

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Akihiro Yoshida

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Akihiro Yoshida

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Akihiro Yoshida

Nendo’s ’Slice of Time’ exhibition was made of a transparent clock-like empty-shell

Image © Akihiro Yoshida

Top image © Takumi Ota 

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