Helvetictoc by Swiss web designer Tobie Langel, will be installed in Durham this week. The work, which describes the approximate time in words, will be projected onto the wall of the Clayport Library in Millennium Square.
The piece is an affectionate tribute to both an iconic typeface and to the nation of clockmakers from where it came. The artwork's witty use of language recalls the era before smartphones and the almost forgotten act of asking someone for the time.
Helvetictoc originated as a small web application combining a number of Langel's interests: typography, minimalism, randomness, humanisation of digital user interfaces and the perception of time.
Langel's app was spotted online by Artichoke, who saw its possibilities as a projected lightwork and commissioned a large-scale version for Lumiere.
The installation proved so popular it returned to the third Lumiere festival in Durham in 2013.
Helvetictoc will be looked after by Durham County Council. The permanent installation has been made possible thanks to a £10,000 community fund grant from the Durham-based business, the Banks Group.
Helen Marriage, director of Artichoke said, "It's really wonderful to see one of our commissions for the Lumiere Festival becoming a permanent part of the Durham urban landscape."
Cllr Simon Henig, leader of Durham County Council, said, "Helvetictoc has amused the crowds as part of the world class Lumiere light festival twice now and I am delighted it will become a timely reminder of the importance of art and culture in County Durham."
(Jim Evans)
