Time-flux

Time-flux is a generative audio-visual installation reimagining the form of time as a free flux of chaotic experiences, inspired by Henri Bergson’s concept of duration.

Since modern time-keeping technologies emerged, humanity has created an artificial time environment punctuated by mechanical contrivances and electronic pulses. Obligated to live within the standardised time system has become a common struggle. How could one ever equal ten seconds of delights to ten seconds of suffering? Henri Bergson addresses this problem with the idea of duration (durée), which focuses on the overlooked experiential dimension of time. He describes the form of time as “a bottomless, bankless river, which flows without assignable force in a direction which could not be defined.”

In the same spirit, Time-flux captures the fluidity and chaoticity of subjective experiences of time. The installation features 4 layers of transparent OLED display and a 4-channel sound collage. The fluid particles on the screens act as snapshots of the virtual entity of time. Benefiting from the transparent OLED display from LGD, the generative shapes can pulse through the space at various paces, creating an experience of flowing continuum between screens. The sound collage utilises granular and time-stretching audio processing to recreate the distortion and non-linearity experience of time perception. The core of the work is a probability system of controlled chaos, created by modular synthesisers and a computational algorithm based on the Lorenz system. It sends combinations of constantly morphing signals to influence the visual and sound generation, resulting in drifting visual and sonic outcomes.

Time-flux is our existential anthem to the overlooked experiential dimension of time beyond mechanical measurements. It is also our call for humans to look at time in another way and rethink our relationship with it.

“时间之流”将时间的形态想象成为一种自由的流体。作品的主要灵感来源于亨利·伯格森关于体验时间的理论：绵延。本作品主要关注现代人在体验时间和标准时间之间的挣扎。当我们所有人都被迫将自己的生活塞进一分一秒的小格子里时，不免时不时心生疑虑：凭什么我们要遵循机器为我们设定的节奏呢？难道十秒钟的痛苦可以与十秒钟的欢愉画等号吗？伯格森的绵延理论将如此体验时间的维度带入标准时间系统，他将体验时间比作没有边界的河流，以一种没有固定方向的方式流动。

“时间之流”用生成式的方法来体现主观（体验）时间的流动与混沌。作品分别在四个屏幕上不断生成时间之流的切面在屏幕间构建一个可能的连续体，即为想象的时间实体。这个连续体以不同的节奏在空间之中穿梭。声音部分则通过粒子与时间拉伸效果体现非线性、失真的主观时间体验。为了创造永不重复的生成式试听体验，《时间之流》使用了一套复杂的信号网络，包括模块合成器信号和洛伦兹系统。

“时间之流”是一首存在主义赞歌，赞颂我们超脱冰冷机械计算的主观时间体验。同时，本作品也希望能够启发观众以另一个视角去看待时间，并且重新思考人类与时间之间的关系。