Scent of Time is a live performance, whose protagonist is a twelve year old girl. Her coming to an age is tormented by opposite ideological and ethico-aesthetic paradigms. The title is borrowed from the book by the German-Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han. In his work, Byung-Chul Han opposes traditional Eastern systems of time measurement, based on the burning of the incense, to Western mechanical systems of time measurement, with the objective of reevaluate the contemplative dimension of time against the capitalist forms of temporality based on the notions of work and productivity. Recovering this form of contemplative temporality, the story takes place within a symbolic and liminal space. This transcendent realm is represented by an incense trail clock and a similarly shaped floor sculpture, designed by Camilo Garcia A. The incense trail clock symbolises a life’s journey, meandering through different phases and ‘zones of influence’.

Curted by Felice Moramarco.

Realised with the support of the Embassy and Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Italy, I-Portunus, Mondriaan Fund e Stimuleringsfonds.