SIGN OF THE TIMES

Hotel InterContinental, Vienna 2016–2018

Sign of the Times is the three-dimensional replica of one of the most well-known and iconic images from the silent film era. It shows Harold Lloyd – in the 1923 movie SAFETY LAST! – hanging from the hand of a gigantic clock on the outside of a skyscraper in New York. The film plays masterfully with such themes as deception and imposture. “As a piece of comic architecture, it’s impeccable”, said Orson Welles of this legendary silent film.

Not just a visual ploy, Sign of the Times can also be seen as a comment on the much-discussed redevelopment of the property.

Hans Hurch, Director Viennale