Current Inquiries is where I invite you into my creative research as co-investigator. Today’s inquiry brings a past workshop called “Radical Placemaking” into a present context. Speaking on chronopolitics, non-durable histories, and temporal agency, this audiovisual collage explores a different style of sharing. I wanted to more accurately reflect the technologies represented through the content, and the ways I typically consume these media. I’m curious what you think about this format.
Shortly after I decided to post this piece, the latest Sing for Science episode came out: a conversation between music artist Miguel and science historian Jimena Canales on “Time Perception”. Filmed at the MIT Museum’s TIME exhibition, the talk reminds us that the study of time didn’t always belong to the sciences. “Before [Albert Einstein], people who would want to find out of time would probably read poetry, theology, or philosophy,” Canales says.
The politics of land is more talked about than the politics of time, and I wonder why that is. Artist Trevor Paglen has been uncovering how computers see the world for many years. In a 2025 talk, he brings up this question of time and speed saying, “We have these acute temporal contradictions that are becoming a means through which to shape society in a lot ways we don’t necessarily want.” Machine learning and artificial intelligence make these contradictions increasingly stark.
Time is a physical phenomenon, although it is represented, measured and managed culturally. The idea of chronopolitics points to the politics of when: in what ways time is divided into certain units and based on what; what ways of experiencing and using time are considered normal and desirable (and which are not); and what modes of living, working, caring – and even existing – are made possible or impossible.
“Chronopolitics, or the Politics of Time between Finance and Computing.” CCCB LAB, 2 Nov. 2022, lab.cccb.org/en/chronopolitics-or-the-politics-of-time-between-finance-and-computing/.
In this Age of Aquarius and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the “chronopolitical field” feels like the next frontier. This audiovisual collage asks, if we can hold our own place, can we hold our own time? What happens if we construct time differently?
And a reminder that when we’re faced with urgent rushes forward in the name of “progress,” the appropriate response is to remain vigilant.
Relational Citations:
My goal is to start writing citations in accordance with the Relational Citation Style (RCS) developed by Deborah Khodanovich. Without having the handbook yet, I’ve made my best effort to cite all sources used in the video in the RCS format. You can download the citation doc below. If you have questions about any sources, please leave me a comment and I will respond.
Justice for Keith Lamar
Gratitude for Harmony Holiday hosting the Feb 14 event at 2220 Arts + Archives and thank you to Keith Lamar for sharing your poetry and your story. To support Keith’s exoneration visit www.keithlamar.org.
