How do we understand time, especially those cosmological and geological temporalities that far exceed our own human lives?

In answer to this question, the exhibition Followed by Nine Zeros: Experiments in Deep Time explored our understanding of time and scale, featuring the work of visual, olfactory, and sonic artists who engage with themes of deep time and big history in their creative practices.

The exhibition takes as its title the numerical representation of deep time, commonly understood as a geological timeframe spanning roughly 4.6 billion years, or 4.6 followed by nine zeros. As JD Talasek argues, deep time challenges our understanding of permanence; what appears unchanging from a human perspective becomes a fleeting phenomenon when viewed in the context of geological time. While deep time lies far beyond the parameters we typically use to comprehend our own lives, it also provides rich ground for creative engagements with and imaginings of time and place.

Co-curated with Clara Babette, this exhibition invited artists to create works centered on the theme of deep time. It showcased a diverse array of media and processes, including visual art, sculpture, and olfactory and sonic installations. Featured artists included Water Dixon, Michael Bräuer, Jean Brundrit, Abdus Salaam, Gerhard Marx, Georgia Munnik, Gerhard Roux, and Antoni Schonken.

A catalogue publication will be released soon.