Supermajor: Is this oil really flowing back up into the oil can?

Here’s an excellent discussion starter: What is happening to the liquid in this video? Is it really flowing backwards? Up into the oil can?

This is Supermajor, a project by teacher and artist Matt Kenyon that was inspired by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. From the project: 

In the gallery a wire rack of (vintage) oil cans sits.  One oilcan has a visible fissure out of which oil slowly flows cascading onto the pedestal and gallery floor…  The only thing is, the oil isn’t exactly flowing out of the can. Instead, oil appears to slow slowly drop by drop back into the can.  At times the drops of oil hover unsupported in midair. Other times the drops are in the process of a slow motion splash onto the pedestal.

I can’t explain exactly how this demonstration is being executed, but I might suggest watching How to make Pearls of Water and Brusspup’s Amazing Water & Sound Experiment. There’s also an interview with Kenyon over at Cool Hunting and FastCo Design, and more projects at Swamp.nu.

Thanks, @AmebaCuriosa.