Hourglass

The final version of the work consists of 54 boards (1990); in its initial version, it comprised a single board. The repeated words “was,” “is” and “will be” are arranged in the form of an hourglass (sand or water clock), exchanging positions according to a system devised by the author, based on the principle of mathematical permutation. The words are arranged vertically, with increasing or decreasing letter sizes. The Hourglass is a reflection on the essence of the flow of time and its human perception. It has been presented as black letters on a white background in many versions: typescript on paper, photographic print, exhibition board with text handwritten in ink on Bristol board and emulsion on plywood, prints on paper and foil mounted on rigid supports (PVC, Plexiglas and aluminium – Dibond), and as a mural on the exterior wall of a building (Wrocław Contemporary Museum). In 1990, a brochure containing all the panels of the complete version of The Hourglass was published (CSW Zamek Ujazdowski, Warsaw), and in 2007 a hardback book including the entire work was issued (Galeria 86, Łódź).