THE THOUGHT:

TICK TOCK – TICK TOCK is an installation that shows the effects of global warming in a distinct and effective manner. The threat of global warming is reported on and spoken about by all these days but what we believe we need is a visual metaphor to show the devastation it can bring to our planet.

The idea behind TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK is very straightforward as it is a simple installation to mount and therefore we would like to take it around the world and to different countries with diverse eco regions and weather conditions. It will show before our eyes how ice melts either in a matter of hours or over days depending on the climate in a particular location. It will also reminds us how time is running out for us, ‘tick tock-tick tock’.

THE INSTALLATION:

A large sphere representing the globe is moulded out of ice and is hung or placed on the floor. Inside this globe is a battery operated blinking red light - the light signifies the heartbeat of our planet and also the dangers posed by global warming and voices of people from around the world speaking about global warming and how it affects them. The voices initially are muffled due to the compact ice but as the ice begins to melt the voices become louder and louder. As the ice eventually melts the beautiful globe is replaced by a puddle of water, a non functioning lamp as the battery eventually runs out and the voices which are now overwhelming.

THE CITIES:

We have selected 12 cities from around the globe from the equatorial to the polar and from the hot and arid to the freezing tundra. The cities we have chosen are Beijing, Tokyo, Lagos, Kolkata, Moscow, Sydney, Brantevik in Sweden, London, Doha, Thule in Greenland, Washington DC and Rio. The idea is to mount the installation in a central square/space in each of these cities.

THE WORKING PROCESS:

We will be working with ice sculptors to design the structure and then finding local artists in each of the countries/locations to arrange and set-up the installation. A live camera feed from each location can be viewed on the web site www.ticktock-ticktock.net.

THE DIMENSIONS:

The diametre of the ice will be around 2.5 metres. The total weight of the ice will be around 2.5 metric tons and therefore the locations will have to be fairly large.