A piece of time

Nick Steur

(Maastricht/The Netherlands)

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In the middle of the room, an impressive pyramid, in the exact same dimensions as the big one in Giza, but exactly 33 times smaller. From the tip hangs a pendulum in the form of a giant, shiny steel sphere. Long rows of seats surround the construction, and in front there are a total of thirty-two mechanical metronomes, behind which the viewers sit. Conducted by the performer, the audience is set in motion: first with a syncopated rhythm, and later in a synchronised choir of ticking time contraptions. Gradually, the audience becomes part of a living structure. Image, movement, sound and a growing silence condense into an enchanting experience of time.

Illustrating the tiniest changes in time and place is the foundation of Nick Steur’s artistic approach, who graduated from the Theatre Academy in Maastricht as a theatrical performer. Although he is mostly perceived as a visual artist, he places great value on the live aspect of his performances, and in particular on the audience’s own perception of its presence. Nick Steur performed at UNIDRAM in 2014 with 'FREEZE!' in which he balanced stones into almost impossible sculptures.