The MFA said it will unveil “The Clock’’ to Bostonians Sept. 17 when it opens the renovated Linde Family Wing as a contemporary art space.
Lizbeth and George Krupp, who saw “The Clock’’ in London, donated the money for the purchase, which is the first through a fund established in the memory of real estate mogul Edward Linde, a generous contributor and MFA trustee who died last year.
The MFA will mark the opening of the Linde Wing by staying open for 24 hours, giving visitors a chance to see every moment of Marclay’s piece. The artist stip ulates that the film cannot be shown in pieces or out of time, meaning that to see the 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. section of “The Clock,’’ you must be in front of the screen during those early morning hours.
“I can’t think of a more fitting work,’’ said Edward Saywell, the MFA’s chair of contemporary art and programs. “It’s such a magnum opus.’’
In an unusual arrangement, the MFA will split ownership and the nearly $500,000 cost of “The Clock’’ with the National Gallery of Canada. White Cube, Marclay’s London-based gallery, encouraged this because there are only six editions of the piece. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and an unnamed private donor have purchased copies of their own. But a group of institutions — some in Europe, others in the United States — is finalizing the purchase of the remaining three editions. At least two of the three will be shared.
By sharing the purchase, the MFA and National Gallery of Canada cannot show “The Clock,’’ which is stored on a computer hard drive, at the same time. The MFA negotiated to unveil it first for the Linde Wing.
Craig Burnett, White Cube’s associate director, said it is possible that the MFA could have purchased the work on its own.
“At the same time, we encouraged sharing,’’ he said. “If they do share, they split the cost. This also allows more people to see it because no institution will exhibit an artwork constantly.’’
