The Most Valuable Clock in the World is a large wind-up mechanical-electronic clock. Its wooden gears control six screens that present recorded moments in cycles of hours, minutes, and seconds. It displays and preserves moments considered valuable by the people of Oulu, Finland, in 2025. The value of the clock lies in personally meaningful moments contributed through an open call.
The clock’s minute hand is composed of 60 everyday moments contributed by Oulu residents. The second hand consists of fleeting moments captured by 106 local participants. The hour hand, formed from twelve one-hour videos, depicts species, habitats, and natural phenomena in the Oulu region whose continued existence in their present form is under threat. It was created in collaboration with researchers from the University of Oulu and the Arctic Centre in Rovaniemi, as well as other nature experts from Oulu.
The clock itself was built together with a dedicated group of eight local participants.
By displaying what people considered valuable, the work also serves as a time capsule for future generations, preserving a portrait of life in Oulu in 2025 and the moments its people chose to remember.
The work was made by Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen and I. It was curated by Alice Sharp (Invisible Dust, London) and created as part of Climate Clock, a programme of Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture. The production also received additional support through AVEK’s Mediarata programme for our production company, Firma.
Photo by Maija Toivanen
