The Opposite of Time

The Opposite of Time is part of The Artangel Collection. Since its initial presentation at the Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne in the spring of 2018 it has been shown at CAST in Cornwall and Inverleith House in Edinburgh.

  • Artist: Andy Holden & Peter Holden
  • Title: The Opposite of Time
  • Date: 2017
  • Medium: Three screen video installation with five channel audio
  • Dimensions: various dimensions
  • Duration: 30 minutes 37 seconds

In a room lined with shelves previously used to store objects of the Cumings’ collection, the three-screen video The Opposite of Time (2017) features an animated crow, voiced by Andy, narrating a social history of nest collecting. As the crow flies across a backdrop of landscape paintings by the likes of Turner and Hockney, he explains how egg collecting has transformed within Britain, from an aristocratic pursuit and encouraged hobby, into an illegal activity. – Nisha Desai, Culturised, 1 October 2017.

Narrated by a talking crow who flies across a series of well-known landscape paintings by the likes of Turner, Constable and Hockney,  the video installation 'The Opposite of Time' recounts the history of egg collecting in Britain, which evolved from aristocratic pursuit to widespread hobby until it was made illegal in 1954. The crow reveals the extraordinary lengths to which collectors went to pursue their passion and conceal the spoils after the ban was imposed.

Image: Andy Holden, The Opposite of Time, 2017, (detail) at the Former Newington Library, 2017. Photograph: Marcus Leith

Image: Installation view of Andy Holden, The Opposite of Time, 2017 at Inverleith House in 2018. Photograph: Michael Wolchover

at Inverleith House

Edinburgh, 28 – 18 November 2018

'The Opposite of Time' had its Scottish premier when Natural Selection was exhibited at Inverleith House situated within the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh.

Image: Installation view of Andy Holden, The Opposite of Time, 2017 at Inverleith House in 2018. Photograph: Michael Wolchover

Image: Andy Holden, The Opposite of Time, 2017 presented at CAST, Cornwall in 2018. Photo: Courtesy of CAST

at Groundwork,

Helston, Cornwall, 01 – 23 September 2018

'The Opposite of Time' was presented at Groundwork, a season of international art organised by CAST (The Cornubian Arts & Science Trust). Andy Holden opened the season, with a live performance of his acclaimed work 'Laws of Motion in a Cartoon Landscape' and closed it with a presentation of the films from 'Natural Selection' and a selection of nests from his ongoing collection.

Image: Andy Holden, The Opposite of Time, 2017 presented at CAST, Cornwall in 2018. Photograph: Courtesy of CAST

Image: Installation view of Andy Holden, The Opposite of Time, 2017 at Towner Art Gallery in 2018. Photograph: Alison Bettles

at Towner Art Gallery

Eastbourne, 03 February – 20 May 2018

'The Opposite of Time' was presented at Towner Art Gallery the first venue on the UK wide tour of Andy Holden and Peter Holden’s collaborative installation, Natural Selection. The gallery is home to one of the most significant British landscape painting collections in the UK, many of which feature in the film.

Image: Installation view of Andy Holden, The Opposite of Time, 2017 at Towner Art Gallery in 2018. Photograph: Alison Bettles

 

Previous Presentations

Since the launch of The Artangel Collection, The Opposite of Time has been installed at: