Navigating Polarities , 2018

“Navigating Polarities, an immersive film installation, investigates the history of navigation and the natural forces of polarity and magnetism present in the physical world. The work takes the Earth’s geomagnetic field as a starting point, considering how micro- and macrocosmic elements are contingent on these properties to operate. Interested in the correlations between systems at different scales – from the quantum to the cosmic – Dijkman explores how humans and animals alike synchronize and coordinate their behavior and activities within the Earth’s inherent laws. The film is projected upon a dome-shaped screen that mimics the circular form of the globe. On the concave screen, a combination of scientific and historical materials – images of magnetic fields in space, animal navigation, cardinal directions and compasses from different cultures and periods in history, maps, and scientific diagrams and experiments – bleed and merge into one another. The range of reference material is overwhelming in scope, presenting the universe and its systems as intrinsically unified. The accompanying soundtrack and narrative explore these phenomena from a human-centered perspective, identifying the philosophical, psychological, and moral consequences of these various natural states through critical thought and interpretation.” (bron: https://www.marjolijndijkman.com/works/navigating-polarities)