De tussentijd: The meantime

Abstract

Until the end of the Middle Ages, people lived according to nature's rhythm, which was determined by the sun and moon. Until the introduction of timekeeping, that is: an artificial system for measuring the hours and minutes. It is a system that fundamentally altered our experience of time. Rather than our personal and/or natural rhythms, the clock dictates our lives. In direct contrast to linear timekeeping, non-quantifiable inner time also exists. This is where those moments occur when you have lost track of time, when you can daydream, when you are open to the unexpected. Only in this particular state of being, the meantime, when one simply is, can one find space for creativity. The meantime gives rise to the new. Artists, in particular, tend to seek out this elusive meantime. Which might why they have such an apparent and enduring fascination with the phenomenon. This exhibition is a voyage of discovery past artworks that prompt viewers to experience this 'emotional time' for themselves. Visitors are invited to slow their pace, to come to a standstill, and - if only for moment - to forget about the clock.