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The Most Valuable Clock in the World

The Most Valuable Clock in the World will be created in Oulu. Donate your most valuable moments to it!
Tellervo Kalleinen & Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen. Kuvaaja: Topi Paananen.

The artist duo Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen are building the world’s most valuable clock together with the residents of Oulu. The value of the clock comes from personally significant moments donated by Oulu residents.

The final artwork created with locals will be a large ‘mechanical-electronic clock’ featuring a curved LED display that showcases recorded moments in cycles of hours, minutes, and seconds. The clock’s hour hand will display moments from Oulu’s natural annual cycle, the minute hand will highlight valuable everyday moments for Oulu residents, and the second hand will provide glimpses of special moments filmed by locals.

The Most Valuable Clock in the World is part of the international Climate Clock art project curated by Alice Sharp (Invisible Dust UK), one of the most significant productions of Oulu’s European Capital of Culture year 2026 in which six international artists will create permanent artworks exploring the nature of time and climate change for the Oulu region and Oulu city centre.

Participate!

You can participate in making the collaborative clock in various ways:

1. Donate a minute of your day

Would you be willing to donate a minute of your life to the clock? The minute hand will showcase moments that locals in Oulu feel are valuable in their daily lives. Describe a significant moment for you that recurs daily or weekly. Based on your descriptions, we will select 60 one-minute moments to be filmed throughout 2025. What each person considers valuable is personal and subjective, so the clock will feature a wonderful wide variety of moments!

2. Donate a special second

The second hand will display brief glimpses of valuable special moments, filmed by Oulu residents, that elevate everyday life. Write here if you would like to participate with a one-second video – we will contact you!

3. An hour in Oulu’s nature

The hour hand will display 12 precious moments from the natural cycle of Oulu – a one hour-long moment for each month of the year. The chosen moments will highlight aspects of nature that may, in the future, no longer be taken for granted due to climate change. What moment would you suggest we should include?

4. Dinner for twelve

If you would like to reflect on valuable moments together with others, you are welcome to join inspiring discussions led by Tellervo & Oliver over a delightful dinner. During the fall of 2024, we will host five Dinner for Twelve in which the servings highlight the northern ingredients and knowhow according to the Arctic Food Lab programme. Some of the moments documented for the clock will be selected based on these dinner conversations. The dinners are free, but each event is limited to the first 12 registrants. Choose the most convenient time and place for you from the options below.

 

5. Join the clock builders

We are looking for a small, enthusiastic volunteer team to participate in the design and construction of this large mechanical-electronic clock. We will contact anyone interested to join the clock building team with further information.

The Most Valuable Clock in the World will be completed in June 2026 and will then go on tour to Ylikiiminki, Kiiminki, Oulunsalo, Haukipudas, and Yli-Ii. By donating your precious moment to the clock, you’ll also preserve it for future generations: After 2026 the clock will be gifted to the people of Oulu and be available to see in its permanent home. Details to follow shortly.

Participate!