DRIFT

DRIFT

Exploring the fluctuating relationships between nature, technology and man, DRIFT creates delicate kinetic sculptures, immersive installations and performance art pieces uniting audiences with experiences that inspire a reconnection to our planet.

 

Founded by Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta in Amsterdam in 2007 after graduating from Design Academy Eindhoven, DRIFT’s works of art illuminate parallels between man-made and natural structures through deconstructive, interactive, and innovative processes. The artists raise fundamental questions about what life is and explore a positive scenario for the future.

 

Comprising a multi-disciplinary team of 64, DRIFT has produced artistic collaborations with brands including NASA, Microsoft, BMW, and Louis Vuitton. Their works have also been featured as part of the Venice Biennale, Art Basel Miami Beach, The Armory Show, Dutch Design Week, Burning Man, and Summit LA19, and in artistic performance and contemporary art museums worldwide.

kinetic sculpture

KINETIC SCULPTURES

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Shylight installation at Design Miami/ Basel
Shylight installation at Design Miami/ Basel
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Shylight
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Shylight
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Shylight
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Shylight
Shylight

"Most man-made objects have a static form, while everything natural in this world including people, are subject to constant metamorphosis and adaptation to their surroundings. Shylight is the result of the question, how can an inanimate object mimic those changes that express character and emotions?"

-DRIFT
Meadow_Makingof_1
Meadow making of
Meadow_3
Meadow making of
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In 20 Steps
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In 20 Steps
DRIFT, Drifter Performance
Drifters, 2021 at The Shed
DRIFT, Ralph and Lonneke with Drifters
Drifters, 2021 at The Shed
Drifter, 2017
Drifter
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Drifter

“We wanted to make something that everyone said was impossible. When we come up with something, it might take 10, 20 years to complete. It doesn't matter."

- DRIFT
Interactive ARt

INTERACTIVE INSTALLATIONS

Fly eindhoven final 2
Flylight
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Flylight
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Tree of Ténéré
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Tree of Ténéré
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Tree of Ténéré
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Tree of Ténéré

"Their work explores the relationship between nature, technology and mankind through a process involving collaborations with scientists, university departments, research facilities, programmers and engineers. DRIFT draws their inspiration from nature as a starting point, both in a formal and a philosophical way, while the creative process is fueled by innovative techniques."

- Pace Gallery
KAPELLBRÜCKE LUZERN
The Particle Plan
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The Particle Plan making of
light installation

LIGHT INSTALLATIONS

S1X0ZG~W
Fragile Future
Studio Drift Fragile Future 3.9 courtesy CWG photography by Hesmerg
Fragile Future
Fragile Future
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Fragile Future making of
FragileFuture_Makingof_2
Fragile Future making of

"DRIFT proposes a vision of the future in their signature aesthetics; a distinct mix between hi-tech and poetic imagery. This series is about conveying emotion while simultaneously referring to the fact that light lies at the basis of all life. The project can be seen as a critical yet utopian vision on the future of our planet, where two seemingly opposite evolutions have made a pact to survive."

- Carpenters Workshop Gallery
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PERFORMATIVE ARTWORK

Franchise Freedom by Studio Drift web
Franchise Freedom
Franchise Freedom by Studio Drift web
Franchise Freedom
Franchise Freedom making of
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Franchise Freedom making of
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Semblance
Semblance
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SCULPTURE

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Light Bulb
190731-materialism-iphone2
Iphone 4
Volkswagen Beetle

"Visual cues are sometimes most effective to elicit any kind of thought. It is a process for people to understand (ourselves included) their place in nature, then realizing how many natural resources are used for it to finally see the impact of their lives and decisions on their natural surroundings. We want to play a role in that visualization as we have been engaged with this process during our studies and is of our personal interests."

- DRIFT
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COLLABORATIONS

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Nasa: Franchise Freedom
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Nasa: Franchise Freedom

“The Apollo 11 moon landing exemplifies how technology can have a positive effect on humanity. Let’s take this as an example of what amazing possibilities we have if we put our minds together. It is our responsibility to use technology to build a sustainable future.”

-DRIFT
studio_drift_ego_2
Nederlandse Reisopera: Ego
L'Orfeo x 'Ego'
Nederlandse Reisopera: Ego

“With her installations, Lonneke operates at the edge between life and death, between day and night, between being frozen in rigidity and getting moving – exactly what Orpheus is about.”

- Monique Wagemakers, Director, Nederlandse Reisopera
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Summit LA x 'Shylight'
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Summit LA x 'Shylight'

“I’ve become really interested in how artists use their practice as a way to understand and imagine the future. From reinterpretations of technology and motion like DRIFT's blooming kinetic flower Shylight, all evoke a simultaneous sense of beauty and darkness, and this year I was particularly drawn to that blurry line in between.”

- Alex Zhang, Art Director, Summit
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Iris van Herpen: In 20 Steps
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Iris van Herpen: In 20 Steps

"DRIFT inspired me to look more closely at the draping of a garment through chronophotography. The moving wings of delicate glass represent the constructive steps of continuous improvement. The vivacious glass bird flows in symbiosis with the models while they move over the runway, their delicate interaction emphasizes the fragility of new worlds living and soaring together."

- Iris van Herpen
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BMW: Franchise Freedom
BMW: Franchise Freedom

"Franchise Freedom – created in collaboration with BMW – investigates the tension that exists when individuals strive to obtain total freedom and, yet, still need to rely on groups and communities to thrive in society."

- A/D/O by Mini
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Microsoft : 'Concrete Storm'
download (5)
Microsoft : 'Concrete Storm'
download (3)
Microsoft : 'Concrete Storm'
download (4)
Microsoft : 'Concrete Storm'

“Feeling present in your environment is a key aspect of mixed reality, enabling you to move naturally, interact, and explore in three dimensions. These aspects make the entire world a canvas for artists.”

- Ben Porter, Director, Microsoft HoloLens and Windows Experiences
exhibition

EXHIBITIONS

Fragile Future, The Shed
DRIFT, Ego Installation shot
Fragile Future, The Shed
DRIFT, Fragile Future Installation shot
Fragile Future, The Shed
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Materialism
2-min
Materialism
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'Fragile Future' at Carpenters Workshop Gallery
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'Flylight' at Carpenters Workshop Gallery
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Fragile Future details
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Fragile Future details

"For decades, neuropsychologists have examined the brain, theorizing that people are either left-brained or right-brained. The left side controls logic and analytical thinking, while the right side operates creativity and imagination. Drawing upon this parallel, we see DRIFT as a scientific marvel—an art and design studio that operates from both simultaneously."

- Whitewall
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'Meadow'
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'Fragile Future'
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'Tree of Tenere'
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'Drifters'
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'Concrete Storm'
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'Materialism'

"The work of DRIFT has evolved on a winding yet deliberate path, delightfully unrestrained by the traditions of either art or design. The aesthetic language the duo, Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, have developed on this journey blends rawness with refinement, revealing the inner workings of phenomena while also inspiring wonderment about the unknowable, achieving a satisfying and modern mysticism. This language, realized in the materials, form, and motion of the objects and installations they create, often seems to aim at the same target as poetry: achieving emotional resonance."

- Stedelijk Museum
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'Drifter' Armory Art Show
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'Drifter' Armory Art Show
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'20 steps' at Venice Biennale 2015
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'20 steps' at Venice Biennale 2015