The Colour Of Time: Emmanuelle Moureaux

Arists of course dedicate their entire lives to the fruition of their art pieces, but would you create over 100,000 paper cut-outs of numbers? Designed by Emmanuelle Moureaux, this installation evokes and visualises the passing of time. On display at Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design (Japan), this installation is part of a series of artworks that each explore materials' different functions.

With paper the chosen material-type, this artwork evolved by artist Moureaux observing the relationship between colour change and it's stimulation on the senses, as well as the mathematical element of time. Combining both, this installation visualises the process of time passing via 120,000 numerical paper figures that range from zero to nine and creating a three-dimensional grid of 100 layers. Subsequently, each row of numbers denotes a specific time of day that ranges from sunrise at 6.30am to sun fall at 7.49pm, and equally, different colours are used to result in a colourful grid that gets gradually darker to illustrates the day-night transition.

As Toyama explains, "...the installation superimposes these two elements to visualise and make one feel the flow of time. Through the tunnel, the sky is tinted with a beautiful gradation changing from pale to deep colours, flowing from time to time. The installation makes one feel the subtle changes in [the] atmosphere through the whole body by travelling the colourful flow of time." Creating atmospheric impressions on the body and mind, there are benches inside the artwork for you to become fully immersed. Discover more about the exhibition online at: Tad-Toyama.jp