Miha Vipotnik's Video Installation 'Conundrum of Time: Clepsydra' Opens in Beirut
Back in May 2002, Miha Vipotnik introduced his video art piece, 'Conundrum of Time: Clepsydra,' at the Université Saint Esprit de Kaslik's gallery in Beirut. This project kicked off a trilogy exploring how we measure time. Created during a workshop with USEK students, it features three video clips, each lasting twelve minutes, that highlight the city's landscape. A unique element of the installation is a Phoenician Clepsydra that drips red wine, representing ancient gods. The videos, displayed on a 9x3 meter translucent screen, draw a comparison between past and present views of time, offering a critique of postcolonial Beirut and nodding to Dziga Vertov’s classic, 'Man with a Movie Camera.' The next pieces, 'Sun Dial' and 'Nano Tower,' are set to debut in 2003 and 2004.
Key facts
- Miha Vipotnik created 'Conundrum of Time: Clepsydra'
- The installation opened in May 2002 at USEK's gallery in Beirut
- It features a Phoenician Clepsydra filled with red wine
- Three twelve-minute video sequences were made with USEK students
- The work is the first in a trilogy about measuring time
- Vipotnik has MFAs from California Institute of the Arts and University of Ljubljana
- He previously curated the International Video Bienniale in the 1980s
- Subsequent installations 'Sun Dial' and 'Nano Tower' are planned for 2003-2004
Entities
Artists
- Miha Vipotnik
- Josef Chemaly
- Dziga Vertov
- Guiseppe Verdi
Institutions
- Gallery of the Université Saint Esprit de Kaslik (USEK)
- California Institute of the Arts
- Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Ljubljana
- TV Slovenja
- International Video Bienniale
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- Beirut
- Lebanon
- Ljubljana
- Slovenia
- Los Angeles
- United States
- California
- Europe
- Middle East
- Yugoslavia