"We do indeed have four dimensions. But even in relativity, they are not all of the same sort. Only three are spatial. The fourth is temporal; and we are unable to move freely in time. We cannot return to days gone by, nor avoid the coming of tomorrow. We can neither hasten nor retard our journey into the future. We are like hapless passengers on a crowded escalator, carried relentlessly forward till our particular floor arrives and we step off into a place where there is no time, while the material composing our bodies continues its journey on the inexorable escalator – perhaps forever." - Banesh Hoffmann
Escalate is a projection-based artwork created as the final outcome of the Masterclass in Projection Art (2018). This immersive video installation features a moving escalator projected onto the ground, inviting the audience to step onto its surface.
As participants walk forward, backward, or step off, they symbolically manipulate time—shaping the future through their movements and decisions. The work challenges viewers to consider the power of choice, urging them to decide in which direction they wish to travel.
The installation creates a unique spatial-temporal experience, where the familiar mechanism of an escalator becomes a metaphor for our journey through time and the illusion of control we maintain over its flow.
