Time-Carve is an interactive typography installation that creates a collaborative
writing experience. The audience becomes both reader and writer, breaking away
from linear narration to collaboratively illustrate a collective consciousness of space, time, and
people.
The Chinese term for “time” (時刻) directly translates to “Time-Carve,” and this
combination has two meanings: time and an instant.
The character 刻, when used as a verb,
means “to carve,” making it an ideal choice for this visual project, as it metaphorically “carves” a
moment from each participant’s mind into a shared visual, resetting when interaction stops.
Inspired by the chance operations of Dada artists, the work employs two layers of
randomness:
randomness in
(i) each keyboard’s preset design, and
(ii) audience actions and their typing.
This interplay creates infinite possibilities. As more people engage with the work, messages from others become increasingly obscured, leaving behind unique patterns and traces of interaction.