Julius von Bismarck Grenzen der Intelligenzen, 2024

In the video work Grenzen der Intelligenzen (Boundaries of Intelligences) a fluorescent lamp pulsates and rhythmically radiates its light. On closer examination, insects can be seen circling the neon tube in the video. For millions of years, luminous celestial bodies have served as insects’ main orientation points, this has been disrupted by human intervention in their environment, our use of artificial light makes it impossible for these animals to navigate their habitats. Perpetually flying in circles, they are at the mercy of death by exhaustion. Von Bismarck films their death flights and, in using a slow-motion camera, the artist is also able to make the inherent flickering of fluorescent lamps perceptible to the human eye.