1965/1 - ∞, Detail 

This is a detail from Roman Opalka's life-long project, which began in 1965, using oil on canvas. Opalka, a Polish-French artist, started painting consecutive numbers from one to infinity. Born in France to Polish parents, he and his family were forced to resettle in Poland. His personal history is entwined with the displacement and identity struggles that marked much of twentieth-century Europe. Each canvas, known as "Detail," is a testament to the passage of time, a meditation on existence. Opalka once said, "My work is a record of time's passing... it is time itself." As the numbers progress, the background gradually lightens, moving towards a state of pure white. This evolution mirrors Opalka’s own aging process, a poignant reflection on the cycle of life. The act of writing becomes a ritual, each number a step closer to an unknown end, blurring the lines between the personal and the universal. Opalka's project invites us to contemplate our own place within the vast expanse of time and challenges conventional narratives of progress.