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Mira Hunter's most recent installation piece Time Machine was created with her husband Derek Hunter, who is also a whirling dervish. It features 65 disposable cameras fixed to a 350 degree rail made from reclaimed lumber, activated by electromechanical solenoids. The photographs feature Mira who is a second-generation whirling dervish. They are animated in a sequence, giving the audience the visual experience of revolving around a whirling dervish, caught in a single moment. The images, often displaying unusual exposure disturbances and anomalies, are scanned and made into two films which will play simultaneously within a wooden yurt, installed at the SFU School for Contemporary Arts exhibition space at 611 Alexander Street in Vancouver, BC. Time Machine features a film projected on the inside of a yurt-like structure. The film was created with 65 disposable cameras fixed to a 350 degree rail made from reclaimed lumber, activated by electromechanical solenoids. The film loops, and is projected on two opposing walls. The yurt is constructed around a central load bearing beam, that is a part of the permanent Barlett Gallery space. The entire structure is made from reclaimed, found or recycled materials. The roof is covered with handmade antique suzanis from Central Asia and old moving blankets. At the centre of the yurt, is a rounded bench, also covered with the same textiles as the roof. There is a single oval entrance. The bench organically wraps and curves around the load bearing beam, and hanging on the beam are 8 sets of headphones. The soundtrack was binaurally recorded, combining traditional chanting and singing, breathing, and wind harp. The soundtrack was created by Hunter while whirling and wearing the binaural recording equipment. On the back exterior, viewed through a crack in the planks, is a short stop frame animation loop, called The Happiest Molecule of All. The music for the installation of this tiny loop is a zikr from the stunning album by Oruç Güvenc & Tümata, called Ocean of Remembrance. The soundtrack for the animation is played softly from small speakers concealed in the yurt's wall, leading the viewer to discover it. The yurt is accompanied by a series of light boxes, crafted from reclaimed metal and wood, displaying transparancies of film stills.

>>Click here to see excerpts from Time Machine