ONE of the most highly visible presentations during Art Basel will unfold over the entire facade of the 490-meter-high International Commerce Center (ICC) on the Kowloon harbor front.

    Each night from March 21 to 26, “Time Waterfall” will be shown across the facade of ICC.

    The new work by Tatsuo Miyajima aims to convey the eternal luminance of human life, expressing an ethos of “living in the present.” The work will comprise the natural numbers one to nine, which will cascade down the face of the ICC, while never reaching zero. The continuous counting down symbolizes life, while the zero implied by the extinction of light acts as a metaphor for death. Each digit will be of different sizes, and each will cascade at its own speed, creating a number of layers that each represents a trajectory of individual lives. This work continues the artist’s signature use of light-emitting diode (LED) counters to demonstrate his three fundamental concepts — keep changing, connect with everything and continue forever.

    The absence of zero in his works refers to the Buddhist concept of “sunya,” which symbolizes the void or non-existence. The use of numbers, as abstract and conceptual symbols, becomes Miyajima’s universal language, allowing his work to be appreciated and adapted internationally.

    Visitors keen to get the best views of Miyajima’s monumental projection should hightail it to Tamar Park, Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park, or the outdoor terraces of the IFC Mall that faces the ICC on the Hong Kong side of the harbor.

    Miyajima has held solo exhibitions internationally. He has also presented works in numerous international biennales, including the 43rd Venice Biennale (1988) and 48th Venice Biennale (1999). His works are placed in the permanent collection of museums such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

    (SD-Agencies)