Depth of Discharge

The immersive film ‘Depth of Discharge’ translates the seductive, captivating magic of 18th-century enlightenment demonstrations into an abstract exploration of the roots of the nine different units used to measure electricity.

The film is made using an experimental form of high-voltage electrophotography technique in which the artist uses the conductive transparent layers from touchscreen devices. The sound composition consists of recordings of electric discharge at different frequencies. It features electrified objects associated with technology and energy use, including minerals with lithium, coal, circuit boards, copper wires, and personal devices. By making microscopic electric interactions visible, electricity becomes an actor, adopting an almost animistic character.

‘Depth of Discharge’ is part of a larger body of research and works that explore how electricity, as a natural science, has been linked to Enlightenment ideals since the 18th century. Although people have been fascinated by electricity since early civilization, the scientific properties of electricity were only properly understood in Europe during the Enlightenment.

Most electricians in that period were considered entertainers, similar to magicians, and public electrical demonstrations did not explain the science; instead, they turned the phenomena into spectacular events. ‘Depth of Discharge’ returns to this moment in time when electricity was still made visible, in contrast to today, where most electrical processes are hidden from the eye and more or less taken for granted.

Depth of Discharge, Marjolijn Dijkman, exhibition view by Russ Haus, Oldenburg, 2021

“Depth of Discharge is viewed in a black box. The projection is the only form of light and delivers sequences of energetic interactions, which create a visual spectacle in thousands of shades of monochromatic blue. The frequency of the sound and image creates a mesmerizing experience, giving the feeling that both the frequencies of the brain and the film are synchronized into one.

The scientific use of the term Depth of Discharge is associated with the life of a battery. The life of the battery is measured by its ability to recharge. Depth of Discharge was created by high voltage photography where the electricity and electrified objects became the protagonists and the discharge of the drama.

The film depicts modern empires based on minerals’ energy economies. The symbols in the film are taken from a table of standard electrical units and reveal the metaphors associated with utopia and electrical dystopia. Concepts related to the electric sign language indicate the ideals that the symbols represent beyond their technical meaning.”

Fragments from ‘The Lightnings Slayers,’ Galit Eilat, 2021

Link: Preview Depth of Discharge (first 14 min.)