Melancholia is a wall clock about the end of time.
True values entail suffering. That’s the way we think. All in all, we tend to view melancholia as more true. We prefer music and art to contain a touch of melancholia. So melancholia in itself is a value. Unhappy and unrequited love is more romantic than happy love. For we don’t think that’s completely real, do we?”—Lars von Trier, from an interview by Nils Thorsen.
The clock’s name was inspired by the Lars von Trier film “Melancholia”. He recognized that Saturn is the planet that represents melancholia, and, searching the internet, he suddenly came across a web page about cosmic collisions. In Lars von Trier’s works there is always something to elevate matters beyond the trivial!
I’d wanted to create a clash that which is romantic and stylized and that which resembles some form of reality. The empty rituals of reality – my manifestation of postmodernism is a symbol of a fleeting epoch. Longing for reality. Longing is true. While there may be no truth at all to long for, the longing itself is true. Just like pain is true. We feel it inside. It’s a part of reality. This clock is a breath of melancholia. We are often longing for something, and when in a state of longing, you can’t lose anything, for you have it not.
A time check is also a ritual. Is there content? Yes and no. And that’s what you see every time you look at the clock. Upon the first time check, nothing seems to move, time is stopped, and you appear to have submitted to a ritual without meaning. For some this is inconsequential, they take satisfaction simply from the familiarity of the ritual. But by following the ritual, you can discover useful content, and that the clock works and consistently shows the accurate time.
Like the film Melancholia, my clock also consists of two parts. The minute hand is called ‘Justine’, and she deals with her melancholic sister – the hour hand ‘Claire’. And just as Lars von Trier’s planet, Melancholia, devours the Earth, my minute hand will devour the hour hand twice a day. Twice a day the minute and hour hands are at the top together. But slowly, melancholia descends between them like a curtain she has set in motion. It looks like the "sisters" truly suffer from doubts. Twice a day you see them meet and talk about their experiences of being alone. They have different tempos. But they have been two, and, for a brief moment they become one. Alone in the Universe. It’s a scary and sobering thought. As when you see pictures from outer space, you shiver with the sense that we’re awfully alone.
Longing for reality.
There are many types of clock available on the market today. For the most part, clocks are functional. They allow people to be more productive, to plan out their days and be on time for appointments, whether an important board meeting or picking up the kids from school. However, my Melancholia Clock is not only a functional, but first of all it is a piece of art, the point of your meditation, the place where time seems to stand still.
High Torque Quartz Clock Movement.
This clock comes with a high torque movement to guarantee perfect and reliable design. These compact high torque movements are powered by "AA" batteries and were designed specifically for use with today’s new larger clocks. It is one of the most powerful quartz movements on the market today, and was designed to solve all problems confronting makers of larger clocks – including heavier hour and minute hands.
Unique Color Combinations.
Six unique color combinations let you more strongly feel the melancholic character of this design. At the same time, the contrast in colors between the hour and minute hands makes it easy to read the time.