Open-call. A workshop in Vienna questions the dogma of time

Seconds, hours and weeks are all human inventions. Time has been forged by ancient civilizations for millennia, until modern science gave its final verdict, with Galileo’s invention of the pendulum in 1581. This was later followed by Christiaan Huygens’ invention of the clock in 1657 and the imposition of time zones in the 19th century. This fractioning of time has actually led to the world as we know it today, giving a chance for industries, countries and economies to scientifically coordinate with each other. As cited in Daniel Pink’s book When, “Only by marking time units off would mankind be liberated from the cyclical monotony of nature” (Daniel Boorstin, historian).

Today time has become an increasingly precious resource, given the progressive and apparently irreversible acceleration of our lives, where our vital rhythmical cycles are subject to constant disturbances. It is exactly what French philosopher Paul Virilio addressed as dromology, or the “science of speed”, identifying in speed the hidden face of richness and power. Unless a counter-revolution happens, we need to find a way to survive.

At the Vienna Design Week there is a chance to win a scholarship for a workshop centered on the topic of time. Launched by IN Residence, “Intra-Temporality” is held by French designer Julien Carretero and Italian duo Zanellato/Bortotto and will take into account the impact of technological evolution on the behavioral habits of individuals, answering three specific questions: What would happen if we were able to detect pockets of supplementary temporality amidst the folds of the single “current” moment? How could we exploit the availability of these additional fractions of time? Can Design Thinking develop a useful strategy to multiply these atoms of temporality recouped or created from scratch?