At first glance, the clock appears to be ordinary: familiar divisions by \u00a0hours\u00a0 and \u00a0two hands\u00a0. However, this is not your typical timepiece. Upon closer inspection, you\u2019ll notice the dial is divided into \u00a0ten spaces\u00a0 instead of the traditional twelve. What in the name of \u00a0Lewis Carroll\u00a0 is this? This thought-provoking creation is the work of Scottish artist \u00a0Ruth Ewan\u00a0, part of her series titled *We Could Have Been Anything That We Wanted To Be*, originally unveiled at \u00a0Folkestone Artworks\u00a0 in 2011.<\/p>\n
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Ruth Evans, provoking.<\/strong> Ewan, known for infusing \u00a0social messages\u00a0 into her art, revisited some of her prior works\u2014clocks featured in a previous contest nearly fifteen years ago\u2014to bring a fresh perspective to her installation. The project is part of a triennial that showcases \u00a0urban artworks\u00a0, featuring an impressive 91 pieces by 52 artists in its latest edition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How they work.<\/strong> The unconventional arrangement of the numbers on Ewan\u2019s clocks is not merely artistic flair; it\u2019s rooted in a functional design that divides each day into \u00a0ten hours\u00a0. Each hour consists of \u00a0one hundred minutes\u00a0, with each minute further split into \u00a0one hundred seconds\u00a0. In this system, \u00a0midnight\u00a0 falls at \u00a0ten\u00a0 and \u00a0noon\u00a0 occurs at \u00a0five\u00a0. In contrast, our conventional understanding dictates that a day consists of 24 hours, with 60 minutes and seconds within each hour and minute, respectively. Ewan\u2019s clocks challenge us to think differently about time and reflect on its various interpretations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Making history.<\/strong> Ewan\u2019s timepieces draw inspiration from a historical attempt to reform how society measures time. The \u00a0ten-hour system\u00a0 was put into practice during the \u00a0French Revolution\u00a0 in 1793, aiming to streamline calculations and sever ties with outdated traditions. This revolutionary era sought a rational approach to governance, extending to tools as basic as clocks.<\/p>\n The decimal time initiative lasted from late 1793 to April 1795 before facing suspension due to significant \u00a0public resistance\u00a0. The shift proved challenging; daily life and existing timekeeping devices struggled to adapt to this new paradigm. In a bold move, some watchmakers created clocks with dual numbering, showing both decimal and traditional representations, to ease the transition. However, entrenched customs and business practices ultimately stifled the experiment’s viability.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What does it mean?<\/strong> Ewan\u2019s clocks do much more than tell time; they act as a catalyst for questioning the conventions surrounding it. By illustrating how the \u00a0division of time\u00a0 could lead to profound \u00a0social transformation\u00a0, Ewan invites onlookers to reconsider their perspective on reality. This period of revolutionary France championed values like \u00a0reason\u00a0, \u00a0equality\u00a0, and \u00a0efficiency\u00a0, fundamentally altering various aspects of society, including how time is measured.<\/p>\n With a simple redesign of a clock, Ewan poses a powerful statement that urges us to reflect on the rigidity of the traditional \u00a0capitalist time structure\u00a0. Alongside the clocks, she distributed pamphlets discussing the idealistic, utopian concept of time favored during the Revolution, further driving home her message. In this exploration, she ignites our imagination, compelling us to envision alternative futures and reconsider our everyday relationship with time.<\/p>\n In an era where the perception of time is often defined by the constraints of modern life, Ewan\u2019s art serves as a reminder that our most fundamental understandings can be shifted by \u00a0creative thinking\u00a0. Through her innovative clock, she pushes us to contemplate how the organization of time can affect not just our schedules, but our \u00a0values\u00a0, aspirations, and even humanity as a whole.<\/p>\nUnderstanding the Design: A New Way to Tell Time<\/h2>\n
<img alt=\"Some OT contestants did not know how to read clock hands.\" width=\"375\" height=\"142\" src=\"https:\/\/i.blogs.es\/151c53\/ot-y-los-relojes\/375_142.jpeg\"\/><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nHistorical Context: The Birth of Decimal Time<\/h2>\n
The Societal Implications of Time<\/h2>\n