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1:51

Nam Tran

Artist’s Statement

“1:51” is an experimental short which explores the convergence of perceived time and actual time. The original concept for this piece was birthed during my first 10-Day Vipassana retreat. Sitting there with closed eyes and guided by nothing more than the steady ebb/flow of my breath, it occurred to me how crucial visual signifiers were to our understanding of the world around us. Without any cues to grasp onto, the hours bled together as I found myself in a state of existential limbo. Basing something fundamentally abstract in nature on feeling alone is frightening and the brain wrestles with itself for even the slightest sliver of reassurance, all to no avail of course. On a secondary level, the seven minute duration prods at the concept of infinity; commonly denoted by a horizontal number eight (∞). While 7 ≈ 8, the unarguable truth that 7 ≠ 8 reminds us nothing lasts forever despite how cemented it may feel at times. 

About the artist