Australia – If your days were numbered, how would you spend them? In Sydney, a woman facing a terminal cancer diagnosis has taken an extraordinary step, auctioning off moments of her remaining time to the public as part of a powerful exhibition at Carriageworks.
Titled ‘Time to Live’, the exhibition invited members of the public to pay for intimate, one-on-one encounters with Emily, a 31-year-old from Victoria battling a rare and aggressive cancer, with a prognosis of just six to nine months.
Each interaction unfolded beneath a massive projected timer, counting down the three minutes allotted for each visit. These raw, intimate, and fleeting encounters aim to powerfully convey the emotional and psychological burden of living with—or loving someone affected by—a terminal diagnosis.
The ‘Time to Live’ exhibit is also accompanied by an online film that reveals the private, intimate moments shared between Emily and her visitors, including her husband, Jason, whom she met just three weeks before her diagnosis.
The exhibit marks the debut of The Ministry for Communication & The Arts, a creative studio founded by former Droga5 New York creative directors and Hawke’s Brewing co-founders Nathan Lennon and David Gibson. It is presented in collaboration with the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF).
“Unless we experience it ourselves, we can never know the devastating reality that comes with facing a terminal cancer diagnosis. While we could never replicate its raw impact, we hope this initiative underscores an important message: by supporting ACRF, we can help fund the research that gives people the one thing they need most—more time,” said David Gibson, co-founder and creative partner at The Ministry for Communication & The Arts.
Nathan Lennon, co-founder and creative partner at The Ministry for Communication & The Arts, added, “This project embodies bravery on many levels. From Carly and ACRF’s willingness to take a chance on this concept, before relentlessly pursuing it the whole way through; to the visitors, production team and site crew, who committed to being part of an experience that provoked the rawest of emotions in all of us. But above all, it’s Emily’s bravery that made this possible. Time to Live is now part of her lasting legacy, and we are profoundly grateful that she allowed us to be part of her journey.”
Time to Live highlights the ACRF’s mission to support research across all cancer types, ensuring that the most promising projects in Australia receive essential support. Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the country, claiming 135 lives and resulting in 444 new diagnoses each day.
Carly Du Toit, GM for fundraising and marketing at ACRF, shared, “For 40 years, the ACRF has been funding only the most bold and innovative scientific research. That which has the ability to change the meaning of cancer diagnoses for future generations. But there’s still a long way to go. We hope this idea helps highlight the continued need to keep backing brilliant research that could give those impacted by cancer, like Emily and her loved ones, the most precious thing we all have – more time.”
