5 to 12 – Back to square one by Tanlenzt

A girl sits in front of an imposing clock. It is five to twelve.

This image depicts a moment of standstill – that point at which the past and the future almost converge. The clock becomes more than just an instrument for measuring minutes and hours. It symbolises decisions, missed opportunities, change, and the question of just how much time is actually needed to set out on a new path.

The girl appears small and vulnerable in the face of the vastness of time, which seems to loom behind her. Yet for me, there is more to this than mere sadness. For five to twelve also means: it is not yet twelve. There is still a moment left. ‘Back to the beginning’ therefore does not mean being able to undo what has happened. Rather, it is about the possibility of making a new choice. Letting go, changing direction or allowing a new beginning after an ending.

The image may be melancholic, but it should not be hopeless. Between sadness and the pressure of time, there remains a small space for change.

Perhaps five to twelve is not always the moment when everything ends – but precisely the moment when something new can begin.