Studio Drift

                                 Lonekke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta (2010-2014), Shylight, Available at                                  https://www.studiodrift.com/work#/work/shylight/ [Accessed 5/3/21]

Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta are the creatives behind Studio Drift. I first stumbled upon their Shylight installation on The Rijksmuseum social media page. As we are still on lock down for what seems like the millionth day, I, like many people, find myself spending more and more time on my phone and laptop. So, as I was scrolling through my phone one evening, I came across a video of Shylight in motion and I immediately stopped scrolling. I ended up watching it a few times, and was sort of mesmerised by these flowers opening and closing, they were beautiful, and it got me thinking about the natural world. We are living in precarious times, stuck inside, and often trying to pacify ourselves with whatever is on our screens, but the one thing that brought me a sense of calm that evening, was watching these silken flowers bloom and imagining myself outside amongst the flowers and the fresh air.  As human beings we can get so wrapped up in our digital world that we forget the world outside and forget that we are part of that world. It is so easy to take an anthropocentric view and disregard the wider environment.  This melding of nature and technology forms the basis of Studio Drift’s explorations. They describe it as “manifest(ing) the phenomena and hidden properties of nature with the use of technology in order to learn from the Earth’s underlying mechanisms and to re-establish our connection to it.” (Studio Drift, About, 2021)

Meadow, Shylight, and Semblance share a common thread as they were all created as an investigation into a process called ‘nyctinasty’ in which a flower closes at night as a form of self-protection. They show the connection between the physical change of the flower’s shape and the emotional changes human beings experience. Of their work, the artists say 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. Meadow is the result of examinations on how an inanimate object can mimic those changes that express character and emotions. (Studio Drift, Meadow, 2021)

      Lonekke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta (2017), Meadow, Centre Chodov Prague, Available at https://www.studiodrift.com/work#/meadow/  [Accessed 5/3/21]

With a continued theme of metamorphosis, Gordijn and Nauta created a large-scale performance piece entitled Franchise Freedom using drones to imitate a murmuration of Starlings. Lullaby like piano played gently to complement this performance and add to the emotional connection. In the wild, a flock of Starlings moves in swathes, changing shape and direction and appearing from afar as though it is one solid object.  The artists saw a connection between these flocks of birds and groups of people. Each person exists within a social group, we find safety in a group, yet we also seek the freedom of our individuality. They ask, “What is the perfect balance between the two? Is freedom an illusion?” (Studio Drift, Franchise Freedom, 2021)

Lonekke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta (2018), Franchise Freedom, Burning Man - Photo: Rahi Rezvan, Available at https://www.studiodrift.com/work#/franchise-freedom/  [Accessed 5/3/21]

                        Lonekke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta (2012), Fragile Future III, Available at                         https://www.studiodrift.com/work#/work/fragile-future-iii/ [Accessed 5/3/21]

The future of our planet hangs in the balance but green walls, wind farms, and solar panels illustrate how technological advances, human ingenuity, and nature can work together for a promising outcome.  Fragile Future III is an aesthetic expression of this concept that intermingles natural forms with the man-made. Comprised of a collection of Dandelion seeds attached to lightbulbs and encompassed by brass electrical circuits. The installation can be continually added to and expand in any direction. This multiplication imitates the natural spreading that occurs in Dandelion seeds. As an abundant and resilient plant, it poses the question: what attributes can we take from the Dandelion to benefit our own lives?  In Lonekke’s words she asks whether nature is the high-tech part in our world? Scientists look at the process in nature and mimic this and create a new technology, so in a way technology is an evolution from nature. (Studio Drift, Fragile Future, 2021) Whether we're looking for answers to our social and emotional well being or the well being of the planet, Studio drift's work encourages us to first, look to the earth. 

More information can be found on Studio Drift’s website at https://www.studiodrift.com/