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FACING  TIME  EYES
concept for an internet sculpture by Hofstetter Kurt, 1999

Eye of Susana Navarro Garcia for the Facing Time Eyes project / photo & screen shot - Hofstetter Kurt 1999

In 12 time zones around the earth videocameras are directed towards the sky and connected online to the InterNet. 12 videocameras – time-eyes – around the earth watch the sky. 

12 eyes captured from people living in the respective time zones are displayed on 12 screens, which are setup in a circle. Sky images from the 12 time-eyes are constantly downloaded to be superimposed upon the pupil of the respective eyes. Whenever the download process of a new image is complete the computer system triggers the opening and closing of the eyelid and refreshes the sky image in its pupil. The respective refresh rate, i.e. the data transmission bandwidth, at the moment of InterNet controls the winking of the 12 eyes – and how long the moments last. 

With the rotation of the earth, that means over time, the sunlight is moving within the circle of the eyes. The light of day and night is emitted from their pupils into the inner circle in parallels at the same time.

The light of the sun from the 12 time zones emitted into the inner circle of the screens should be the only light in the exhibition space.