Ephemeral Art: How Temporality Becomes the New Eternity

Contemporary art has long gone beyond material objects. Artists today create works that exist only in the moment, change with the passage of time or disappear, leaving a trace only in memories. These works, like the morning mist, seem ephemeral, but their power lies in a deep, almost meditative awareness of the fleeting nature of life.

These projects shatter the traditional view of art as something static and durable. They pose a new question: if art passes away with time, does it become less valuable? Or is temporality its main strength? Ephemerality in contemporary art does not mean a loss of significance. On the contrary, temporary works create a powerful experience of the present moment, emphasizing the value of time as the only true eternity.

In the context of the theme of ephemerality, I want to talk about the work Experimental solution 57 by the Thai artist Yanawit Kunchaethong. This work was created as part of the Bangkok Art Biennale 2024 and was the most poignant work I saw at the Biennale.

To quote the Biennale website:

"His nature-inspired artwork began in 1998 with the installation "Bangkok, City of Fa Talai Jone". In 1999, he created a new experiment on "organic prints" from plants in the forest, and had his first exhibition in 2000, "Connect". In 2005, he produced a series of organic prints called "Pa Sa-nguan", dedicated to his father (Sa-nguan Kunjaethong). The series reflects the beauty and value of the forest where his father had conserved more than 1,000 species of plants.

However, the area surrounding his "Pa Sa-nguan", has been sold and changed hands many times before finally being used for the construction of a large solar power plant. Cutting down native trees, burning, and leveling the land to accommodate the construction has destroyed the natural streams. The remaining streams are covered with concrete, so the water flows rapidly and cannot seep into the ground as before. There are moreover thieves digging topsoil to sell. The ecosystem has been changed. Many trees are dying and gradually disappear, which is a pity.

In BAB 2024, Yanawit chose to exhibit his work at Wat Pho and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, connecting the ideas between the two locations through the poem “Tiger Crossing the Stream” from the Wat Pho inscription composed by Krommuen Kraisarawichit. A verse says, “Will count the days and nights that will never return,” which deeply affected him. Yanawit took a 40-year-old rosewood tree that had died after the construction of the solar power plant, ground it into powder, and scattered to write the same verse on the floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and Wat Pho, along with an information wall, to reflect the loss of nature and to question whether solar power in its entirety is truly clean energy."

Source : https://www.bkkartbiennale.com/artwork/experimental-solution-57

Material and time

Ephemeral art often works with unstable materials: water, ice, fabric, light or even the human body. These materials emphasize that time is not the enemy of art, but its collaborator. Unlike bronze or marble, such mediums speak to the fickleness of the world and emphasize the importance of the here and now.

How does temporality affect the viewer?

Experiencing ephemeral art is always a unique experience. The viewer witnesses something that cannot be repeated or reproduced. This creates a sense of privilege and emotional involvement.

Ephemeral art can be compared to the Japanese “wabi-sabi” aesthetic, which values imperfection, impermanence and changeability. However, unlike traditional Japanese art, where temporality is often accompanied by silence and humility, contemporary temporary works resemble a bright burst of fireworks. They announce their transience loudly, without avoiding intense emotion. This art is closer to life. Life is not a marble sculpture, but a stream of events that do not repeat themselves. Temporary art embodies this metaphor, showing that the significance of a moment is not measured by its duration.

Ephemerality in art reflects our relationship to time, memory and inevitable changeability. Artists who create temporary works remind us that art is not only an object but also an experience, something that cannot be held or repeated.

Temporary art is a protest against static and a longing for eternity. It teaches us to accept change and appreciate the fleeting. Like memories, it fades away but remains in us - not in material embodiment but in deep personal experience. In the end, perhaps art, like life, is most fully realized in its transience.