Present Tense

Year

Size

Meterials

Present Tense is a vertical clock that invites us to linger and think about the future of the ancient artisan mastery in the fast-paced world of contemporary design. Is craftsmanship still alive? Is it connected to the actual world? In an attempt to combine innovation and tradition, the thousands-year-old mosaic technique is integrated into contemporary design to enhance the uniqueness of creation. The mosaic tiles slide along the clock’s surface in harmony with the continuous movement of the hands and arouse vibration and movement, underlined by the slight inclination of the cylinder. The pure white of the material interacts with the numerous shadows between the tiles – the result of a refined play of light and shadow. The clock’s surface is covered with mosaic entirely handmade. The mosaic is the result of an experiment to find new technical paths: in this case the mosaic made on a three-dimensional surface has the realization times similar to those of a flat surface. The material used for the mosaic is porcelain stoneware 1cm thick. The clock has a PVC support and is inserted on a painted iron base which added to the weight of the mosaic make it self-supporting. It is possible to access the clock mechanism from the back of the cylinder by taking out a removable section of the mosaic, which once reinserted in its place is invisible to the naked eye.