Ecclesiastes is a book in the Hebrew Bible that questions the meaning of life and the value of human labor under the sun. Its conclusion is that all toil is meaningless; mere smoke. All share the same fate: death.

In the performance Ecclesiastes, Cora Wöllenstein and performer Zoe Albrecht activate the sculpture and costume of the same title, imitating the intensity of time passing.

Wöllenstein manually activates the clockwork at irregular intervals. After an indefinite time, Albrecht enters the room wearing a white organza gown with buttons made of watches, singing “Ardon gli incensi,” the mad scene aria from Act III of Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, in which Lucia descends into madness. Both performers roam the room at contrasting speeds, mimicking the hands of a clock measuring time. At the end of the performance, the gown is removed and hung on a hanger held by the grandfather clock, engraved with the verse: “There is a time for everything under the sun, a time to plant and a time to uproot.”

Ecclesiastis, 2025. Longcase clock, metal rod, Oil paint, wood, wood stain, varied fabrics, varied wristwatches, 200 x 103 x 174 cm

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