equilibrium
2013
HD video 16:9, single channel, stereo, 5.30 min.
“equilibrium” explores processes of vertigo and disorientation. A pilot seated in a MiG-29 jetfighter is catapulted into the deep blue. Such a stratospheric flight to the edge of space allows the pilot to see the curvature of the Earth, the darkness of the sky and to experience high speed acceleration in combination with high g-forces. Extreme flight maneuvers cause disruptions of the human vestibular system, which is responsible for our sense of balance and spatial orientation. Astronauts have to deal with the scrambling of these senses during their sojourns in zero gravity environments. The work draws on a stratospheric flight taken by Michael Najjar in December 2012 from Sokol airbase in Russia. During the flight, which was part of the artist’s cosmonaut training, he was exposed to a range of minus 1 to plus 7 g and experienced serious disruption of his sense of orientation.
The video was realized in collaboration with Dieter Jaufmann.
