DRIFT

Franchise Freedom

Exploring the relationship between man, nature, and technology, ‘Franchise Freedom’ is a performative artwork in which an autonomously flying swarm of hundreds of drones questions the human concept of freedom and social construct.

Based on a biological algorithm from over 10 years of research into starlings’ flight behavior, the artwork stretches boundaries between nature and technology and generates an impactful social connection, inviting the observer to view a poetic side of technical innovation and connect back with nature.

NASA: Franchise Freedom

In 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Kennedy Space Center with a mission to land on the moon. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of this monumental achievement, DRIFT was invited by the Aldrin Family Foundation to commemorate this historical moment at the Kennedy Space Center’s Rocket Garden with a special performance of ‘Franchise Freedom.’

This performative artwork saw an autonomously-flying swarm of drones enact a hypnotic display of technological choreography, exposing the tension between individual freedom and safety in numbers, in front of a full moon together with a musical performance by Duran Duran.

The Particle Plan

A collaborative project between DRIFT and three other Dutch studios from various creative disciplines, ‘The Particle Plan’ is a permanent interactive light installation that illuminates Lucerne’s Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Switzerland.

For many years, the bridge disappeared from view at night, blocking the stunning view of the city skyline. With ‘The Particle Plan,’ the oldest surviving truss bridge in the world became a public stage – each stroll over the Kapellbrücke initiates a unique light pattern across its exterior, triggering selected individual ‘particles’ of the bridge to become illuminated with hues that draw on the natural beauty of the wood and mosses that make up its framework,.

‘The Particle Plan’ invites pedestrians to transform the Kapellbrücke in real time, with their own activity through the bridge lighting their path, while also projecting a brilliant roofscape that is visible to those viewing it from the riverbanks.

Tree of Ténéré

To commemorate DRIFT’s 10-year anniversary, the designers adapted their ‘Flylight’ technology, which uses an algorithm to make thousands of multicolored LEDs mimic flocks of birds, for the large-scale LED artwork ‘Tree of Ténéré.’ The interactive light sculpture, controlled by visitors’ movements, heartbeats and brain activity, illuminated the center of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert as part of Burning Man 2017.

An ancient story tells us that the isolated Tree of Ténéré, only found in the Sahara Desert, had a ceremonial function to bring people together for ritual and rest. Conceived and created by Zachary Smith, the massive, lifelike, climbable canvas measured over 3 stories tall and used DRIFT’s innovative technology to create a space for people to come together to pursue emotional resonance.