Circle in 28 Pieces
February 29, 2024 - February 29, 2036
Circle in 28 pieces emerges in relation to the month of February, which ‘mops’ up the inconsistencies in our temporal calculations. In order to fully sync the first roman calendar with the lunar year, a complex calculation was undertaken that also allowed for the calendar to remain at a ‘lucky’ odd number. The result was that one month needed to be shorter than the others and contain an ‘unlucky’ even number of days. Roman King Numa Pompilius determined that it would be February, the month that already hosted rituals honouring the dead.
In 2024, using twenty eight hand made ceramic rods I positioned each rod into a circle at dawn on February 29th. This performance series will continue on February 29th, in 2028, 2032 and 2036. In the same way that the leap year occurs every four years (generally), this performance operates in a set of four to find its moment of completion. The material of the rods will change for each performance, with the previous rods being used in the process of making each subsequent set.