Timekeeper

As a paradigmatic research exercise undertaken by Pierre Huyghe regarding exhibitions as time-based experiences, the Timekeeper project began in 1999 with its installation on the wall of the solo exhibition of the artist Le process du temps libre at the Vienna Secession (April 28 - June 6, 1999) - The Hauptraum at the Vienna Secession is known as the "first white cube." For this work, which existed only for the duration of the exhibition, Huyghe sanded a 20 cm section of the white wall at eye level to reveal the layers of paint from previous exhibitions. By using an electric circular sander, the oldest layers of paint were unveiled in colorful concentric rings, simulating the growth rings of a tree. The artwork became a portrait of the institution's activities: in the outermost section of the circular area, the most recent painted layers could be seen, while the deeper central section revealed the oldest modifications to the wall until reaching its original material.