Jana Pressler
Jana Pressler

The longer I wait, 2023

light installation, 5:38 min loop, 35mm film, LEDs

dimensions variable

 

The Longer I Wait explores the duration of the present moment—the “now.” Up to 2.7 seconds is the span of time during which we tend to perceive an experience as a single moment; events that last longer are more often processed as a duration. In 2.7 seconds, my camera can capture 16 individual frames, and 61 cm of film passes through the camera. The resulting image sequences, following a seemingly random composition, appear for exactly 2.7 seconds—too brief to grasp the sequence as a whole. A moment, then—an abstract, dimensionless point—has little to do with our perception. Although photography gives the impression of being able to freeze time, technical, measurable time and subjectively experienced time diverge.

  • Jana Pressler
    Jana Pressler
    Jana Pressler

    The longer I wait, 2023

    light installation, 5:38 min loop, 35mm film, LEDs

    dimensions variable

     

    The Longer I Wait explores the duration of the present moment—the “now.” Up to 2.7 seconds is the span of time during which we tend to perceive an experience as a single moment; events that last longer are more often processed as a duration. In 2.7 seconds, my camera can capture 16 individual frames, and 61 cm of film passes through the camera. The resulting image sequences, following a seemingly random composition, appear for exactly 2.7 seconds—too brief to grasp the sequence as a whole. A moment, then—an abstract, dimensionless point—has little to do with our perception. Although photography gives the impression of being able to freeze time, technical, measurable time and subjectively experienced time diverge.