Social Clock (2024)
Mixed Media Installation
Scroll
Picetures & Veido
By Zhiyan Li
The concept of the Social Clock was first introduced by psychologist Bernice Neugarten to examine the relationship between age norms and social expectations. She argued that societies often organize and evaluate individual life trajectories through a normative timeline of major life events, thereby establishing implicit standards for when certain milestones should be achieved.Through prolonged exposure to this socially imposed temporal structure, I gradually became aware of a persistent sense of anxiety—stemming from the fear of “falling behind” others and from self-doubt when deviating from prescribed rhythms. Yet this uncritical adherence to socially sanctioned timelines often obscures a more fundamental question: do we truly understand the meaning embedded in these widely accepted life rhythms, and have we genuinely experienced a life shaped by our own terms?
Social Clock does not seek to deny the existence of time itself. Rather, it questions the singular framework that divides life into standardized stages and uses this structure to measure “success” or “happiness.” Life is not a pre-scripted linear path. Even within the same temporal dimension, each individual follows a rhythm, encounters milestones, and moves through life in ways that are irreducibly unique. Happiness, therefore, cannot be determined solely by whether one adheres to the social clock.
In this work, I construct a maze-like spatial environment. The maze features a clearly marked “standard route” connecting a fixed entrance and exit, symbolizing the socially prescribed life path. At the same time, viewers are explicitly informed that the maze does not consist of a single route, nor does it offer only one exit. The maze walls are made of soft fabric and embedded with zippers that can be opened, allowing participants to physically alter the space—pulling open the walls, deviating from the prescribed route, and searching for their own paths and exits.Within this experience, departing from the “standard route” does not signify failure or disorientation. Even when choosing paths that diverge from normative expectations, participants are still able to find an exit and leave the maze. Through this spatial and bodily engagement, Social Clock invites viewers to reconsider the impact of socially constructed temporal structures on individual lives, and encourages the exploration of alternative rhythms, trajectories, and possibilities beyond established norms.
2024
Interactive installation, Arduino, Touch Designer, Processing
Customized structure, Inkjet printing, Fabric, Projecter
500*500*500cm