Breathe in deeply,
close your eyes and
imagine that you are underwater.
Breathe in deeply, close your eyes and imagine that you are underwater.
breath
As you dive below the surface, the hypnotic sounds of
the water begin to soothe your senses, and you notice
the sunbeams scatter through the turquoise shallows.
Hold you breath and sink lower into the indigo depths
of the ocean, to the spaces unexplored by man. Here,
there are no rules, restrictions or boundaries other than
those governed by nature. You feel an overwhelming
sense of peace and the freedom to begin a new adventure…
This is how I felt when I first experienced Martina Amati’s
‘Under’ installation at The Wellcome Gallery in Euston.
Standing there in the dark room between two projector
screens, I felt as though I had been dragged underwater
with her. I became completely immersed and entranced
by the skilful art of free diving. This is swimming for long
period of time underwater without a breathing apparatus.
Whilst it may seem unnatural and dangerous, I began to
appreciate how addictive it must be when executed correctly.
The divers succumb to the water’s natural rhythm
and they flow gracefully through it like dancers.
The film itself captures the free divers’ journey underwater
all within a single lungful of air. The female free diving
record is an impressive 9 minutes and it’s 11 minutes for
men. Martina explains, on her interviews, that each time
she dives deeper and comes closer to death, she feels more alive than ever when resurfacing for air. Essentially, free diving challenges the limits of science and the critical combinations of time, distance
and depth. Therefore, it’s important to
stay completely in tune with your body
in order to be in control of the risks at
stake. As I watched the divers plummet,
I was overwhelmed by this constant
physiological and mental battle
that they face. They fight between t he
liberation of the deep ocean, and the
pressure of returning to land.
The intensity of Martina Amati’s short
film captivated me profoundly, and it
was impossible not to be lured. I could see the divers
enter a meditative state that brings them into an entirely
new dimension, one that Martina likens to being back in
the womb. She hopes that ‘Under’ will raise awareness
and trigger scientists to research and collaborate with
free divers to keep pushing the limits of what’s humanly
possible.
The intensity of Martina Amati’s short
film captivated me profoundly, and it
was impossible not to be lured. I could see the divers
enter a meditative state that brings them into an entirely
new dimension, one that Martina likens to being back in
the womb. She hopes that ‘Under’ will raise awareness
and trigger scientists to research and collaborate with
free divers to keep pushing the limits of what’s humanly
possible.
“Focus on endurance and functionality, each detail serves a purpose to keep the officers protected against wind and rain.”
