MARTA FIGUEIREDO: CRIP TIME CLOCK | NGV DESIGN WEEK | 15 - 25 May 2025

OPENING CELEBRATION SATURDAY 17 MAY 12 - 3PM

MAGMA GALLERIES

5 BEDFORD ST COLLINGWOOD, 3066

Crip Time Clock is a powerful sculptural and performative installation by artist Marta Figueiredo, inviting visitors to explore the impact of chronic illness on time, labour, and productivity. Presented at MAGMA Galleries, the artwork is inspired by qualitative research conducted by Dr Elisabetta Crovara, which explores how digital remote workers reshape their spatio-temporal working environments in response to chronic illness.

At the heart of the installation is an aluminium clock frame, accompanied by a 12-hour video loop depicting a character physically manipulating the clock’s weighted hands—symbolising the ongoing effort to reconcile societal expectations of productivity with the personal realities of chronic pain and fatigue. The Crip Time Clock transforms qualitative research into an evocative sensory experience, revealing the fluctuating, non-linear nature of time for individuals living with chronic illness.

Throughout the exhibition, Marta Figueiredo offers live demonstrations, creating and installing elements of Crip Time Clock while engaging in performances that further emphasise the themes of resilience and adaptation. These performances will highlight the often invisible labour of managing a chronic condition.

Crip Time Clock aims to foster empathy and spark conversations about conventional perceptions of time, productivity, and labour. It serves as a platform for reflection on the intersection of health, well-being, and societal expectations, encouraging a reconsideration of how we design our work environments and structures for greater understanding and flexibility.

This artwork was created through the 2024–25 School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (SGEAS) Art-Science Engagement Initiative at the University of Melbourne, a program that fosters collaborations between school-based researchers and artists to transform scientific research into visual art.

Marta Figueiredo
Marta Figueiredo is an Australian-Portuguese architect and multidisciplinary artist based in Melbourne (Naarm/Birrarung-ga), whose practice spans speculative design, installation, and public art. Since establishing her practice in 2018, she has been dedicated to creating work that transcends functionality, embracing inclusivity, empathy, and playfulness. Marta’s projects inspire transformative experiences, reflecting human resilience and provoking meaningful conversations. Her work emphasises emotional connections between people and objects, exploring themes of design, architecture, sustainability, and the human experience.

Dr Elisabetta Crovara

Elisabetta Crovara is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Human Geography in the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at The University of Melbourne. Her research explores the embodied and affective lives of workplace transformation and skills transition, with a focus on the lived experiences of disability and chronic illness.