Time Drifts is a temporary light-art installation by multi-media Berlin artist Philipp Geist who has created similar installations around the world. It was part of Birthday Live, the April 6th celebration of Vancouver’s 125th at Jack Poole Plaza next to the new Coal Harbour convention centre. Geist projected overlaid images of words onto fog, people, the plaza and the convention building. The words, having to do with the idea of time, were in English, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Spanish and First Nation languages. The concept was to express the elusiveness of time especially as the images moved with people and through the fog. It was to be reflective of Vancouver’s history, and highlighted the continual growth and diversity of its inhabitants.

I loved the concept and the eeriness and elusiveness that the fog created. But I think the effectiveness of the installation depended on spending some time immersed in the projected images. Also, if you were outside the main projection area, the angle of your view was important. There were varying light conditions, a lot of distractions and most people were engaged with the 54-40 rock band playing near the harbour side of the plaza.

I believe Bouvier’s picture, taken from the ramp to the west and above the installation, reflects some of the concepts with which the artist wished to engage the viewer. We can clearly see the layers of words and sense their movement. The people themselves are diverse and somewhat elusive. The couple in the left foreground are looking fondly at each other, with the man having a camera in hand perhaps with a photo of his “view” of the display. Is the hooded camera man behind his tripod in the right foreground really there or someone out of sync with our time?