Christian Marclay’s Clock acquired by Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and National Gallery of Canada (press release) (2011)

For Immediate Release

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON, AND THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA ACQUIRE SOUGHT-AFTER CONTEMPORARY MASTERPIECE, CHRISTIAN MARCLAY’S 24-HOUR VIDEO, THE CLOCK

BOSTON, MA and OTTAWA, ONTARIO (May 4, 2011)— A unique and compelling new work created by world-renowned sound and video artist Christian Marclay has been acquired jointly by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), and the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). Entitled The Clock (2010), this ode to time and cinema comprises thousands of fragments from a vast range of films that create a 24-hour, looped, single-channel video.

“Christian Marclay’s The Clock is a mesmerizing work of video art that captures the dynamic nature of time. We are particularly pleased to be able to premiere it in Boston during the unveiling of the MFA’s Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art in September,” said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the MFA. “The acquisition of The Clock reinforces how contemporary art is part of a rich continuum at our encyclopedic museum and highlights exciting new directions in the collection for video and new media, which we will explore in the wing’s new Lizbeth and George Krupp Gallery.”

Christian Marclay. The clock (still), (2010).

The MFA’s acquisition of the work is made possible thanks to a contribution by Lizbeth and George Krupp to the Edward Linde Fund for video and new media, established in memory of Mr. Linde’s support of the Museum. The Clock will debut in Boston as part of festivities marking the unveiling of the MFA’s new contemporary wing on September 17 and 18, when the work will be shown in its entirety at a 24-hour screening. A masterwork of film sampling and editing, The Clock tells the accurate time at any given moment and will be synchronized to the local time zone in order to be used as a working time piece. The opening event will begin at 7 p.m. on September 17 and conclude at 7 p.m. September 18.

Christian Marclay. The clock (still), (2010).

“The Clock is a contemporary masterpiece and an extraordinary artistic feat,” said National Gallery of Canada Director Marc Mayer. “This is the first work by Christian Marclay to enter Canada’s national collection. We are thrilled to be collaborating with the MFA on this prestigious acquisition and are very grateful to Laura Rapp and Jay Smith, and Carol and Morton Rapp for this magnificent gift. We look forward to sharing Marclay’s tremendous achievement with audiences at the National Gallery of Canada, and with venues across the country in the coming years.”

Christian Marclay. The clock (still), (2010).

Christian Marclay compiled thousands of film clips of wristwatches, clock towers, sundials, alarm clocks, and countdowns, among other things, each of which convey a particular moment that is used to illustrate every minute in a 24-hour period. Several years in the making, The Clock examines how time, plot, and duration are depicted in cinema. Although the audience can use the piece to tell the local time, viewers can experience a vast range of cinematic settings and moods within the space of a few minutes, making time unravel in countless directions and rupturing any sense of linear, narrative sequence. The work is both an homage to more than a century of film history and an affirmation of our present time.

Christian Marclay. The clock (still), (2010).

Christian Marclay’s The Clock acquired: 1 | 2

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