Hacked
TheSeeHere at VIEWFINDER for Nelson Jewellery Week
259 Hardy Street, Nelson
10 April - 10 June 2025
For our Nelson Jewellery Week project, the challenge was to create a cohesive collection that would reflect the varied skills and ideas within the group. Inspiration came from the Schmuck (Munich) exhibition, where artists from Sofia Björkman’s Platina Gallery transformed a dismantled piano into wearable art. For their own project, the group chose an old clock purchased from Trade Me. Like the piano, the clock offered both wood and metal for exploration.
The “demolition party” was a hit, with the dramatic uncoiling of metal springs generating excitement. Nearly every component was claimed by members, who then transformed them. Some into wearable pieces, some drawing inspiration from the clock or the theme of time itself, choosing not to work with the actual clock pieces but instead using them as a creative springboard.
Tiahuia Arapeta
Chocks Away
2025, Wood (clock mantle), stainless steel cable, silk thread, acrylic paint, beeswax
‘Chocks Away’ signifies the readiness to take off, a command marking the moment before a new journey begins. For me, it represents a personal turning point—removing the chocks that have kept me grounded and preparing for flight. This work reflects my readiness to embrace change and venture into uncharted territory, symbolising the excitement and possibilities that come with every new beginning. It’s time to let go of what holds me back and embrace the freedom of the unknown.
Vivien Atkinson
Clockface (Tempus fugit)
2025, USB stick containing video documentation of a 24 hour performance, spliced together by Liorah Atkinson. Kumihimo cord made with silk and cotton threads.
The clock and its dismantled parts offered intriguing possibilities, but did not resolve into a finished work. Instead the concept of time itself became the subject. Time seems to pass with increasing rapidity with age and there is often a growing sense of urgency that time is running out. The clock ticks and the hours pass by.
Becky Bliss
Fractured time
2025, Wood
How can we recognise the fragmented nature of time to empower us to live more fully?
Sandy Connon
Time Honoured
2025, Original clock face backing, linen, injet photograph, cotton thread
As I watched in dismay the breaking apart of a functional but obsolete Grandma clock, I marvelled at the craftsmanship and the beauty within its intricate parts.
Time and wear had left an indelible reminder of who came before us.
The rust dribbling down the back of the clock face, the number 14 written by the makers hand.
The care that made this clock, the care given to it and the care taken in responding to its Hacked state.
Mel Ford
Timeline
2009 – 2025 (and ongoing), String, artist's hair, needle
Through the transition of hair colour 'Timeline' is an ongoing project initiated 16 years ago by the artist, exploring the impact of time on her physiological self.
Marilyn Jones
A Flourish
2025, Textiles, wadding, re-used plastic, embroidery thread, raffia, glass beads, cord
Our old wooden clock was once whole, ordered and in one piece. After its deconstruction the components were scattered and shared amongst the group. I’ve taken fragments of the decorative flourish and re-ordered them into another pattern, a different scattering – each symbol representative of a new fragment in time. Time is repeating itself – here cyclical and reciprocal – simple gestures reimagined and transformed.
Julia Kohlhaas
Stundenblumen
2025, Original clock case, wood dust, nails
Matter carries its own time, one does not need to dismantle a Clock. But, curiosity unfolds, as we build sensory relationships to the object at hand. Undoubtedly the current time is one to be weary of, as we stare at unfathomable political changes. Achievements in equality and equity turn to dust within seconds. Peace? Decolonisation? Human Rights?
Belief-Systems fall apart as I sand this wooden clock to dust. No time for despondency. We are called upon to continue to build the world we want our children to live in.
Did you know that dust can turn into flowers?
Marci Tackett
Portrait of a Clock Piece
2025, Ink, paper
This is a celebration of the beauty of a spring driven mechanical clock
36,432 Instances of Being Present
2025, Ink, paper, linen, ribbon
I spend time thinking about the concept of time. Is it a construct or is it the thing that creates meaning? The book is filled with 36, 423 opportunities to exist in the now.
Nina van Duijnhoven
This is how I speak, this is who I am (1071 beads, one for each day)
2025, Burnt wooden beads, synthetic cord, clock pendulum
Lisa van Hulst
Chiming Out
2025, Series of 12 brooches and video – brass, steel, paint
Grace Yu Piper
Minute Hand, Hour Hand
2025, Porcelain, greywacke, cord
9am – I arrive at my studio
My hands are busy, I make and make. The clock hands go around and around, I barely notice the time passing
5pm – I leave my studio, time for my hands to rest