Polestar 4 inspires artist’s vision

Swedish electric performance brand Polestar has partnered with acclaimed image-maker Justin Ridler for an exhibition at this year’s Sydney Contemporary.

The showcase, Beyond the Horizon, draws inspiration from the solar-themed interior of the Polestar 4 and the view from its high-definition rear-view camera. Ridler’s work captures the anti-twilight arch — a rare natural phenomenon where the Earth’s shadow becomes visible as twilight approaches.

Ridler says the project was a chance to slow down and reconnect with his early influences.

“I travelled to Lake Tyrrell, a salt lake on Boorong Country in northern Victoria, where over several days I photographed the anti-twilight arch – a projection of the Earth’s shadow into space,” he says.

“It was a fleeting, atmospheric phenomenon that exists at the edge of visibility. It stands in quiet contrast to the speed and saturation of contemporary visual culture, offering me space away from my technology-focused work, allowing me to reconnect with the fundamentals that gave rise to my early practice: light, landscape, movement and time.

“The experience became a kind of meditation.”

Ridler, who works at the convergence of photography, digital art and immersive filmmaking, is known for collaborations with choreographers, fashion houses and cultural institutions. His work blends traditional photography with motion capture, CGI and real-time rendering to create emotionally charged visual worlds.

He travelled to Lake Tyrrell in Polestar 4, which combines coupe styling with SUV practicality. The model features no rear windscreen, instead offering a rear-facing camera feed, and a cabin inspired by the solar system with eight ambient lighting settings reflecting the planets.

Jonathan Williams, Polestar Australia’s head of marketing, says the collaboration is a natural fit.

“Polestar is proud to be partnering with Justin, who’s at the cutting edge of his craft,” he says.

“This project is best experienced from behind the wheel of Polestar 4, where the rear-facing camera provides a portal into the otherworldly Antitwilight Arch.”

Polestar will again be the automotive partner at Sydney Contemporary, which runs from September 11–14 and is the region’s largest contemporary art fair.