MARTA FIGUEIREDO: CRIP TIME

Crip Time Clock is a powerful sculptural and performative installation by artist Marta Figueiredo, inviting visitors to explore the impact of chronic illness on time, labour, and productivity. Presented at MAGMA Galleries, the artwork is inspired by qualitative research conducted by Dr Elisabetta Crovara, which explores how digital remote workers reshape their spatio-temporal working environments in response to chronic illness.

At the heart of the installation is a conceptual aluminium clock frame featuring a 12-hour video loop, in which a character physically manipulates the clock’s weighted hands—symbolising the ongoing effort to reconcile societal expectations of productivity with the personal realities of chronic pain and fatigue. As the video runs in real time over twelve hours, the clock becomes a living marker of time. To complement the installation and offer a more intimate experience, a wearable device was developed for the exhibition at MAGMA Galleries, allowing visitors to engage with the work on a personal scale.

The Crip Time Clock transforms qualitative research into an evocative sensory experience, revealing the fluctuating, non-linear nature of time for individuals living with chronic illness.

Throughout the exhibition, Marta Figueiredo offers live demonstrations, creating and installing elements of Crip Time Clock while engaging in performances that further emphasise the themes of resilience and adaptation. These performances will highlight the often invisible labour of managing a chronic condition.
Crip Time Clock aims to foster empathy and spark conversations about conventional perceptions of time, productivity, and labour. It serves as a platform for reflection on the intersection of health, well-being, and societal expectations, encouraging a reconsideration of how we design our work environments and structures for greater understanding and flexibility.

This artwork was created through the 2024–25 School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (SGEAS) Art-Science Engagement Initiative at the University of Melbourne, a program that fosters collaborations between school-based researchers and artists to transform scientific research into visual art.