The Present in Public

A shared reference for the year, placed in public.

King Street Center, Burlington, Vermont.

The Present is an annual clock. Its hand completes one full revolution every 365 days. Public Placements install this instrument in civic spaces, permanently, so the year becomes perceptible in daily life.

This page is about placements, not sales. Private ownership remains available on the main site and helps support placement work.

Suggest a placement

Private purchases are not tax-deductible donations. Each private purchase contributes to public placement work.

What a public placement is

A Public Placement is a single annual timepiece installed in a shared environment. It is non-digital, non-instructional, and designed to run for decades. It is not an advertisement and not a product display.

We provide

The timepiece and mounting hardware, installation guidance, and optional documentation.

You provide

A suitable indoor wall location, a point of contact, and approval for a permanent fixture.

Where placements belong

libraries and reading rooms
university gathering spaces
hospital waiting areas and family spaces
airports, transit hubs, and civic corridors

Suggest a placement

Know a place where the year should be visible? Share the location and a contact.

Contact

For institutional placement inquiries: hello@thepresent.is