nendo has designed an immersive and sensory installation around the theme of ‘time’ for italian luxury watchmaker panerai. set within spiral gallery — a multi-purpose cultural center in the affluent aoyama neighborhood of tokyo — ‘slice of time’ forms a space for visitors to experience the passing of minutes, hours, weeks and years as a physical object, rather than an abstract facet of everyday life. 

nendo slice of time
set within spiral gallery, ‘slice of time’ forms a space for visitors to experience time as a physical object

 

 

the project began with the design of a transparent ’empty shell’ that embodied the aesthetic characteristics of the panerai brand. hour markers use one-stroke numerals and square-shaped cases to define the object’s silhouette. this crystalline design was then elongated to a length of 16 meters using an extrusion molding process. by carefully slicing this long piece into separate units, smaller individual clocks were made and turned into finished products for visitors to take home. the ages of visitors were converted into millimeters, forming a display of variously-proportioned watch faces that solidify the essence of time.nendo slice of time
the design embodies the aesthetic characteristics of the panerai brand

 

 

within the spiral gallery, a circular atelier was set up to facilitate each individual stage of the clock-making process: polishing, sandblasting, and assembly. the gradual formation of the elongated timepiece within these intertwined and interlocking circles bore physical resemblance to the mechanisms of a watch, and lent further weight to the pervasive and ever-present recording, creation and destruction of time within the space.

nendo slice of time
hour markers use one-stroke numerals and square-shaped cases define the object’s silhouette

 

 

with a segment of the clock shorn away every five minutes, the hollow shell was gradually divided among the visitors, becoming a kind of elongated hourglass. piece by piece, time was literally handed out among the guests until the total disappearance of the clock completed the installation. by realizing a tangible length of time, nendo’s installation enabled those present to witness the tangible ticking away of seconds, and what’s more, gave them the chance to earn a few precious minutes back. 

nendo slice of time
the crystalline design was then elongated to a length of 16 meters using an extrusion molding process

nendo slice of time
smaller individual clocks were made and turned into finished products for visitors to take home

nendo slice of time
the hollow shell was gradually divided among the visitors, becoming a kind of elongated hourglass

nendo slice of time
ages of the visitors were converted into millimeters, forming a display of variously-proportioned watch faces

nendo slice of time
the installation gave those present the chance to witness the tangible ticking away of seconds

nendo slice of time
within the spiral gallery, a circular atelier space was set up to facilitate each stage of the clock-making process

nendo slice of time
the formation of the timepiece within these circles bore further resemblance to the mechanisms of a watch

nendo slice of time
different clocks of different lengths are displayed within the ateliers 

nendo slice of time
a new clock is created every five minutes

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