What to Know”Christian Marclay: The Clock”Los Angeles County Museum of ArtTwo full showings are coming up: Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m. through Sunday, July 26 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. through Sunday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.$30 adult; other ticketing tiers are availableThe film will also play during regular museum hours from July 26 through Aug. 23; general admission covers your entryBroad Contemporary Art Museum at LACMA, Level 1
Perhaps you’ve never counted how many times a day you casually glance at the clock on your phone, the old-school timepiece on your mantel, or the digital display above your stove.
Whatever that number might be, it surely cannot be as high as the incredible number of times a clock is portrayed in “Christian Marclay: The Clock,” a 24-hour film that keeps exact time with the real-world time the viewer is occupying.
Let’s talk, or rather tick tock, about what that means: This is a movie that truly takes 24 hours from start to finish, and every few seconds, give or take, a clip from a movie or television show depicting the time on a clock pops up.
The time on screen corresponds to the time on your phone, or your wristwatch, adding to the immersive feel of viewing the widely hailed and highly original work of art.
Visualize, if you will, a marvelous “… montage constructed from thousands of moments of cinema and television history depicting the passage of time, excerpted and edited together to create a functioning timepiece synchronized to local time wherever it is shown,” the museum states on the event page.
The piece springs from the filmmaker’s “… interests in collage and found visual and aural artifacts with his roots in life performance.”
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art last screened “Christian Marclay: The Clock” over a decade ago. Now the Miracle Mile museum is bringing it back for two special engagements, when, yes, it will actually play for 24 hours.
The dates and times? The film begins at 7 p.m. on July 25 and concludes at 7 p.m. on July 26, and ticket holders are invited to stop by the Broad Museum to view the film for as long as they like. You’ll want to arrive by 5 p.m. on Sunday if you wish to view the conclusion of the film.
Seating is first come, first served, do keep in mind, and if you’re a LACMA member you’re assured priority access.
Don’t get wound up if you miss the July date; it’s all happening again, for 24 hours, starting on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. and wrapping up at 7 p.m. on Aug. 23. Again, be sure to get there by 5 p.m. on Sunday if you plan to view the last two hours; that’s the final entry time.
If you prefer to simply take in an hour or so of the movie during regular museum hours, you can, from July 26 through Aug. 23. Your LACMA ticket or membership covers your admission to the film.
The one-of-a-kind work of art celebrates the everyday and elevates it, giving us a fresh appreciation for objects that surround and inform us during almost every waking hour, or just about. The ordinary in the extraordinary, in short, is one vibrant theme.
Mr. Marclay also created a video installation featuring several clips of doors, reminding us that there is a rather sweet and humble magic to be found in even the most workaday and frequently unseen household items.