Smári Róbertsson created a subtle but impressive work of art with the clock on top of the Oude Kerk’s Vater-Müller organ. For eleven weeks, the hour hand turned back in time every minute for a 24-hour period, until the clock was turned back past the moment it was made: the year 1724. The artist deployed the literal relaxing of the clock as a way to reflect on time, space and one's physical presence.

Throughout the intervention, texts of his could be followed online in a form that was somewhere between a blog, a report and a live essay. First, the artist connected the clock to an Icelandic saga about a legendary hero from the 13th century, Örvar Oddur. It is a fictional saga written by an anonymous Icelander and popularised by Dutch linguist Richard Constant Boer (1863-1929).

This work was the result of Róbertsson's year-long 3Package Deal Residency between 2017 - 2018 which is granted by the coalition 'Interhistorisch', consisting of the Oude Kerk, the Reinwardtacademy, H401, and the Museum Van Loon. Through this residency programme, the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK) and Bureau Broedplaatsen hope to encourage exceptionally talented people to form a strong bond with Amsterdam as an international city of culture. Every year, fifteen promising young artists from a diverse range of disciplines receive an affordable living and working space. Coalitions formed by Amsterdam's art institutions select and coach a talented participant for the period of one year, during which the participating artists work on their own personal artistic development. The obligatory final presentation at the end of November, the so-called International Art Talent Festival, is designed to make their development visible to residents of the city.

Materials

Clock, paper

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