Is

One time IS no time – Reflections on the Unbearable Lightness of Being

This is a project based on Milan Kundera’s book “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”. It is a collection of images and text that relate to the content of the book as well as to my own interpretations of certain sentences and paragraphs. Everything in the world has an opposite and according to the Greek philosopher Parmenides, everything is divided into opposites.

The central theme is the opposition between life and death “a white coffin amidst the joys of life”. It acts as a reminder of how close we actually come to death, forgetting about it when being happy. The white coffin is also a metaphor representing the fine line we tread in life between love and hate, happiness and sadness, betrayal and fidelity, modesty and greed etc.

It all happened on a nice day in March 2002 where I set out with my friends, my coffin and a camera to Brighton and photographed it in various public places – restaurant, club, pub, the beach etc. Seeing the reactions of people was simply fascinating. They all started writing messages on the coffin that really meant something to them and it made them step back and think for a moment. Whilst the concept is quite serious it is on the other hand quite fun too and somewhat of an oxymoron -surreal to see a coffin next to an ice cream stand. It felt as though the whole of Brighton was talking to us that day and regardless of where we went it was well received.