An exhibition in Venice is examining the intricate relationship between classical sculpture and geological time through the work of Franco-Swiss artist Julian Charrière. Titled “Spiral Economy. Charrière and Canova,” the show is on view at the Museo Correr through November 22 and features a blend of Charrière’s contemporary installations alongside works by Italian neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova (1757–1822).

At the heart of the exhibit is Charrière’s installation “Imperfect Lovers,” which consists of 13 clocks from the 19th century. These mechanical timepieces no longer function in the traditional sense; instead, they have been transformed by natural mineralization processes, becoming surfaces on which time physically accumulates. Charrière submerged these clocks for approximately 18 months in various natural environments, including calcifying waterfalls, limestone caves, and highly saline waters, causing them to become encrusted with calcium carbonate, mineral crystals, salts, and phosphates.

The clocks are arranged around a central piece—a mineralized punch-clock formerly used in a British factory to document workers’ shifts—symbolizing the Industrial Revolution’s rigid structuring of time. Charrière described his intent as a critique of the mechanized, regulated perception of time that emerged during that era, contrasting it with earlier, more organic rhythms governed by seasons and natural light.

The exhibition’s curatorial team highlights the connection between Charrière and Canova through their shared material of marble, or more specifically, calcium carbonate. Pier Paolo Pancotto, an independent curator from Rome who contributed to the show, described Charrière as “a sculptor in his own right,” noting his innovative approach to the material’s geological and temporal dimensions. Canova’s Carrara marble sculptures, long celebrated for their neoclassical refinement, are thus placed in dialogue with Charrière’s contemporary reinterpretations of material and time.

Alongside “Imperfect Lovers,” other works deepen the exhibition’s themes. Charrière’s “Spiral Economy” (2025) replicates an airport vending machine filled with fossilized ammonites drawn from his personal collection, linking natural history with modern consumer culture. Another installation, “Albedo,” presents underwater footage from the Arctic Ocean through the perspective of a beluga whale, accompanied by hydrophone recordings of marine mammals. Positioned opposite Canova’s “Italic Venus” (1804–1812), this video piece evokes the fragility of a natural world undergoing profound change.

Charrière stated that the exhibition poses questions about humanity’s desire to impose permanence on a world defined by constant transformation and geological processes unfolding on timescales far exceeding human life spans. “We are wishful that we could actually freeze time,” he remarked, underscoring the tension between the ephemeral and the enduring that defines both his work and the enduring legacy of classical sculpture.