"A Crack in the Hourglass"
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
In the midst of loss and isolation, an artist’s anti-monument, “A Crack in the Hourglass” (2021), brings communities together to mourn, remember, and feel connected again.
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is most interested in monuments that “disappear, question themselves, that complicate some of the stories that we tell ourselves.” This anti-monumental approach creates platforms for self-representation through large-scale participatory installations such as “A Crack in the Hourglass” (2021). Shown at the Brooklyn Museum in 2022, the artwork memorializes those lost to COVID-19. After hearing stories of families and friends unable to gather and grieve, Lozano-Hemmer and his studio team decided to “create a way for people to be able to come together and remember our loss.” Through custom software, a robotic arm, sand, and a live video feed, the artist has provided an opportunity for communities to experience an event which memorializes their loved ones. Anyone can submit a photograph to www.acrackinthehourglass.net and gather remotely or in-person to watch a portrait of a friend or family member be drawn by the artwork.
A single body of sand produces each of the hundreds of portraits over the course of the installation. After a portrait is complete, the image tilts and the sand slides away to be recycled. In the face of an invisible virus, Lozano-Hemmer hopes to build “a sense of universal solidarity” and connect the individuals depicted in the installation. “The ephemeral helps us remember,” states Lozano-Hemmer.
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About the artists
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer was born in Mexico City in 1967. An artist working at the intersection of architecture and performance art, Lozano-Hemmer creates participatory artworks that utilize technology like robotics, heart-rate sensors, and computerized surveillance tools in order to facilitate human connection. Technologically sophisticated yet deceptively simple in their execution, Lozano-Hemmer’s spectacular, immersive works are often installed in public places as a means of transforming these sites into forums for civic engagement.
