“Somebody has told me it’s summer solstice”
“Yes, I’m investigating whether the sun is really standing still”
“Continue…”
“I need you to stand still for just one minute. Film the landscape to frame the sun’s position in the sky against the horizon. The card you pick will reveal the hour you are entrusted to observe.”
“How?”
“With a digital camera. Prompt action is called for, you have until midnight to upload your film. I will have 4 hours from UK midnight/ 9 pm BR to edit the films into a sequence to be projected on Monday 21st at 17:17 here in Rio”

16 invitations were sent to London by post to the Distance Festival, each letter refepresenting one of  the 16 hours of sunlight on UK’s longest day of the year, summer solstice. The letters sent by airmail from Rio de Janeiro to Stoke Newington International Airport, where the event was to take place, each contained a card dedicated to any member of the public that might pop over to the festival and accept to participate in the trans-atlantic performance on sunday June 20th 2010.

With very special thanks goes to Lottie Leedham and Neil Callaghan for their support from London and Maiza Almeida, Moana Mayall, Sirkuu Maenpaa and Tee Cardarci for their assistance in editing, sourcing and building the looking glass for the performance in Rio and the distance festival public whose films from the UK made this work possible; Laura Bradshaw, Rachel Jacobs, Willian Villalobos Fernandez, Catherine McKenna, Lucy Moore, George Morris, Elisabeth Morris, Ink & Ale, Wason Murray, Greg McLaren and Simone Kenyon.

14 x1″ films realized on Sunday 20th June by invitation to the public of the Distance festival in London. Received films were edited together by midnight in Rio on the same night. On Monday 21st June at 17:17 pm (BR) an event took place in Alto Sao Conrado. A looking glass was built for this performance where the 14 minutes of sun-light of Britain’s longest day were transported to Rio as twilight commenced in the shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere.