The Present Archive

About

'I do get confused about time. If one loses one's emotional focus' — She stopped, struggled, went on huskily — 'That's what happens. Aeons — split seconds — they interchange. One gets outside the usual way of counting.' - From The Echoing Grove (1953), Rosamond Lehmann Comprised of collected film, text, image and sound The Present Archive is an exhibition that reflects upon the difficulty of defining the present moment. Engaging with the elasticity of time and duration the exhibition sets out and overlaps fragments taken from a diverse range of sources and periods. The material is choreographed within the space, alternating and spilling between projections, monitors and speakers in a sequenced pattern. The various, divergent elements produce a narrative that shifts between timbres, speeds and temporalities in an attempt to delineate the ever evasive present. The Present Archive is an ongoing project by Thom O'Nions and Richard Sides