The Centrifugal Soul (2016) is a monumental zoetrope created in collaboration with Geoffrey Miller, a renowned contemporary evolutionary psychologist. A zoetrope, an elegant invention from the Victorian era, often appears in Collishaw’s work, invoking a time when the fascination with movement and optical illusions paralleled the birth of modern scientific exploration. This historical reference deepens the piece’s symbolism, reflecting both a technical marvel of the past and a meditation on the persistence of natural instincts.

At the heart of the zoetrope, a rotating platform adorned with models of birds and flowers spins at 60 rpm, bathed in strobe lights flashing every second. This delicate choreography creates an optical illusion of motion, where the birds seem to hover above the blooming buds, engaging in elaborate courtship dances, displaying their vivid plumage. These natural rituals, driven by evolutionary imperatives, symbolize the survival and perpetuation of life. Yet, the mechanical nature of the zoetrope suggests a constructed narrative, one that questions the boundary between nature's organic rhythms and human-made representations. The audience is drawn into a contemplation of not just the birds’ instincts but the human desire to control, observe, and understand the natural world.

In The Centrifugal Soul, Collishaw invites the audience to confront the paradoxes of time, motion, and instinct, reflecting on the deeper forces that govern both the natural world and our perception of it.