Barbara Hammer, “Bent Time” stills, 1984. Courtesy of The Estate of Barbara Hammer, KOW, Company and Electronic Arts Intermix.

On May 23, Hammer’s “Bent Time” (1984) will screen at the Real Academia de España en Roma.

From Barbara: “‘Bent Time’ is influenced by scientists who have noted that light rays curve at the outer edges of the universe leading them to theorize that time also bends. A one-point perspective visual path across the US beginning inside a linear accelerator – or atom-smashing device – and traveling to such high-energy locations as the home of an ancient sun calendar in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico; the site of Ohio Valley Mound cultures; the Golden Gate and Brooklyn Bridges; and beyond. Inspired by this idea, I used an extreme wide angle lens of 9mm and ‘one frame of film per foot of physical space’ to simulate the concept of time bending. The soundtrack is ‘Rattlesnake Mountain,’ an original score by Pauline Oliveros.”