Conceptual artist Jonathon Keats is working on a project to create the world’s slowest photograph. He plans to create an 1,000 year long exposure of the city of Tempe, Arizona, that will complete in 3015.

It will be set up at the Arizona State University Art Museum pointing at the city’s skyline in an attempt to capture the changes in civilization.

“The first people to see this picture will be children who haven’t yet been conceived,” says Keats. “They’re impacted by every choice we make, but they’re powerless. If they can’t influence our decisions, at least they can bear witness.”

The camera uses oil paint instead of film, over the 1,000 years the colours in the paint will fade from the light from a minuscule pinhole, slowly creating a positive image.