Ryan Gander commission celebrates launch of Roberts Institute of Art

5 May 2021

The David Roberts Art Foundation (DRAF) has relaunched with a new name and visual identity as the Roberts Institute of Art. Signalling a new direction under the patronage of David Roberts and Indrė Šerpytytė-Roberts, the RIA will drive a programme of exhibitions, live performances, artist residencies and commissioning opportunities across the UK that will also benefit international artists and global digital audiences.

To mark the relaunch, RIA commissioned Ryan Gander to create a new digital work, visible on the website for three months. Time is the focus of Gander's Waiting (An Interval by Ryan Gander) (2021). The work sits within and disrupts the architecture of the new site, presenting as a 'loading' bar, moving at different speeds according to a variety of following load times. Below the bar are descriptions of the time represented, such as:

The time it takes for you to read this.
The average amount of time it takes for a canine to digest food.
The average time the artist spends looking at their phone on a Friday.
The average duration for a 18 year old male to reach orgasm.
The time it takes to smoke a cigarette outdoors on a winter's day.
The average time it takes to drive from Zagreb to Zurich.
Daily duration of exercise recommended by the UK NHS for a 44 year old male.
A Gregorian minute.

Click here to view the work.