The Shrine of Respect for the Fleeting Moment
49 × 31 × 28 cm (wood, metal, incense sticks, plexiglass, brush, lighter, paper)
Mas Modular Studio, Kraków (PL), 2025
The Shrine of Respect for the Fleeting Moment is an installation born out of the need to capture and anchor oneself in the present. In today’s world — overstimulated, fast-paced, and constantly pressured by productivity — it becomes increasingly difficult to truly be here and now. This work is an attempt to symbolically outline a temporal frame for the upcoming moment through the simple act of lighting an incense stick.
The object takes the form of a portable shrine that can either stand or be hung. At its centre are incense sticks whose burning time becomes a symbolic measure of the duration of a moment. That moment can be used for work, rest, or play — but always with awareness that it unfolds within a defined ritual. Once the ritual ends, the user can sweep away the ashes and remnants of the incense — this too is part of the process, reminding us that every fleeting moment leaves a trace.
A looping instructional film accompanies the shrine, shown on a screen next to the installation. In the pocket on the right side there is also a printed manual with a few simple steps guiding the user through the ritual of caring for the moment. The Shrine is the first in a series that will explore various emotional, spiritual, and social needs.
