Appearing in this video are seven objects that look at first glance like amusement park attractions. Their designs and behavior, however, are so outrageous that they could never exist in reality. One is a huge sphere, from which rotating swings fly out in a radial fashion as a result of centrifugal force produced by the sphere’s fast rotation. Another one is a giant Ferris wheel structure that takes 14 hours to make a full revolution. These attractions are designed mainly for experiencing strong centrifugal force and acceleration as a result of high-speed rotative motion.

As a matter of course, such amusement park rides don’t really exist. This work was created based on an imaginary documentary on research into the effects of centrifugal force on the human brain as carried out at the Institute for Centrifugal Research. The fictional attractions, realized with a combination of computer graphics and live action video, are called Spherothon, Wedding Cake, Expander, Dandelion, High Altitude Conveyance System, Steam Pressure Catapult, and Schwingmaschine. Each of them is exhibited together with detailed design drawings.

NOWAK designs such “rides” as caricatures of civilization. The passengers’ experience of rotation and the resulting centrifugal force is supposed to represent our desire to escape from reality. This can be further linked to French thinker Roger CAILLOIS and his classification of play and games into four categories, one of which he defines as “ilinx (vertigo).”