Studio Drift Explained

Studio Drift
Formation:[1]
Founders:Ralph Nauta, Lonneke Gordijn[2]
Type:Artist collective
Services:Architectural lighting design
Location:Amsterdam

Studio Drift is an Amsterdam-based artist duo founded by Ralph Nauta and Lonneke Gordijn in 2007. It specializes in choreographed sculptures and kinetic installations, with the focus to re-establish the connection between humans and earth.

History

Studio Drift was founded in 2007 by Design Academy Eindhoven graduates Ralph Nauta and Lonneke Gordijn.[3] They first collaborated on Gordijn's graduation project, Fragile Future, a number of ball-shaped LED lamps with real dandelion seeds glued onto them, giving the bulbs a flowerlike appearance. Designers also created a miniature lamp Dandelight, following the same concept.[4]

Fragile Future turned out to be the most successful project of Studio Drift so far. In 2008 it won Light of the Future award from the German Design Council and later different versions of this art work were included into permanent collections of Stedelijk Museum and Victoria and Albert museum. It was displayed in many cities globally including New York (2010), Jeruzalem (2011), Abu Dhabi (2013), São Paulo, (2014) London (2015). and in Venice during the Art Biennale (2019)

Studio Drift's first commercial project was a series of outdoor benches made in 2007 for the Amsterdam Botanical Gardens named the Water Web Bench.[5] [6] [7] In 2008, artists presented their Ghost Chair at the Milan Furniture Fair.[8]

In 2010, the duo was invited to New York to make Fragile Future installation for the Dead or Alive exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design.[9] [10]

In 2011, studio showed their kinetic art project Flylight during the Salone del Mobile and later in 2012 at the Venice Biennale of Architecture.[11] [12] [13] The computer-controlled installation, that draws inspiration from the flock of birds, is composed of as many as 180 hand-blown glass tubes suspended from cables and outfitted with halogen lamps. It was commissioned for several private residential projects.[14]

In 2013, artistic duo presented first prototypes of Nola lighting system during the Dutch Design Week.[15] In 2014, the studio presented a standing mirror named The Obsidian Mirror made out of the toxic waste during Salone del Mobile.[16] In October 2015, a second piece from this collection, a hanging wall mirror, was shown at Thing Nothing exhibition at Van Abbemuseum.[17] In late October 2014, when Philips Wing of Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam opened after the 11-year renovation it featured studio's Shylight chandeliers.[18]

In 2015, artists installed a grand-scale kinetic sculpture named In 20 Steps at Berengo Foundation's Centre for Contemporary Art and Glass during Art Biennale in Venice. This art object was re-created in 2018 for the Abu Dhabi Edition hotel.[19]

In 2017, Studio Drift presented two projects in the US: in March they displayed a giant levitating concrete cube during the Armory Show in New York and in December launched 300 drones to form a flying light sculpture named Franchise Freedom during Art Basel Miami with sister company Drone Stories. Franchise Freedom was an evolution of their earlier Flylight project.[20] This project won THE DESIGN PRIZE (established by Designboom and Abitare magazine) and was nominated for the Beazley Designs of the Year 2018 award.[21] [22]

In April 2018, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam hosted the first solo exhibition of Studio Drift projects.[23] [24] In 2019, newly opened art museum Amos Rex hosted their second solo exhibitionand their works were shown during the Venice Art Biennale in the exhibition Dysfunctional.

In 2019, DRIFT won the Dezeen Awards for ‘Designer of the Year’ and ‘Lighting design of the year’ with the artwork Franchise Freedom.[25]

Later during the year, DRIFT had their operatic debut. DRIFT artist Lonneke Gordijn - together with director Monique Wagemakers and Choreographer Nanine Linning - deconstructs the traditional codes of opera through the creation of Ego.[26] [27] [28] Ego is a time-based kinetic sculpture in the signature block form of the art studio. Initially, the sculpture was created to materialize the internal turmoil of Orfeo, the protagonist of the famous opera, on the stage. In March 2020, Ego had its debut off-stage at PACE Gallery in New York.[29]

On 5 May 2020, during the Liberation Day in the Netherlands, a special performance of Franchise Freedom flew over the city of Rotterdam.[30] [31] The artist duo prepared the special custom show to celebrate freedom during the coronavirus crisis.

In 2022 the Philadelphia Museum of Art staged a retrospective of their work titled Rhythms of Nature: The Art & Design of DRIFT. They also received the museum's Collab Design Excellence Award on the same occasion.[32] [33]

Works

Works at museums

YearMuseum / CollectionCityObject
2012Stedelijk MuseumAmsterdamFragile Future Chandelier[43] [44]
2014RijksmuseumAmsterdamShylight[45] [46]
2015Victoria and Albert museum[47] LondonFragile Future Concrete Chandelier (2011)
2015San Francisco Museum of Modern ArtSan FranciscoGhost chair[48]

Exhibitions and fairs

YearType of eventNamePlaceCity
2008FairMilan Furniture FairNHow hotelMilan
2010ExhibitionDead or AliveMuseum of Arts and DesignNew York
2011FairMilan Furniture FairVentura LambrateMilan
2011ExhibitionCurious Minds: New Approaches in Design[49] The Israel MuseumJeruzalem
2012FairDesign Days Dubai[50] Dubai
2012ExhibitionNieuwe energie in design en kunstMuseum Boijmans van Beuningen[51] Rotterdam
2013FairAbu Dhabi Art[52] Abu Dhabi
2014InstallationMade by... Feito por Brasileiros[53] Cidade MatarazzoSão Paulo
2015ExhibitionThing NothingVan AbbemuseumAmsterdam
2015InstallationIn 20 StepsBerengo Foundation's Centre for Contemporary Art and GlassVenice
2015ExhibitionWhat is Luxury?Victoria and Albert Museum[54] [55] [56] London
2016ExhibitionDream Out LoudStedelijk Museum[57] Amsterdam
2017FairDrifter[58] [59] [60] Armory ShowNew York
2017PerformanceFranchise FreedomArt BaselMiami
2018ExhibitionCoded Nature[61] Stedelijk MuseumAmsterdam
2020PerformanceFranchise FreedomLiberation Day[62] Rotterdam

Publications

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Amsterdam Design Firm Studio Drift's Light Installations Fuse Nature and Technology. Hannah Martin. September 6, 2016. Architectural Digest. January 2, 2018.
  2. Web site: Swarm of drones illuminates the night sky. September 17, 2018. CNN. January 2, 2019.
  3. Web site: In Miami, It's a Bird. It's a Plane. It's ... a Flock of Drones?. Farah Nayeri. December 5, 2017. The New York Times. January 2, 2018.
  4. Web site: Just Don't Call Them Weeds. Julie Lasky. January 21, 2015. The New York Times. January 2, 2019.
  5. Web site: Seductive design. Costas Voyatzis. May 14, 2008. yatzer.com. January 2, 2018.
  6. Web site: Studio Drift Artists Elevate Nature in Their Work. Ruth Bloomfield. April 22, 2015. The Wall Street Journal. https://web.archive.org/web/20150422201805/https://www.wsj.com/articles/studio-drift-elevates-nature-in-their-work-1429716385. April 22, 2015. January 2, 2018.
  7. Book: Think Dutch: Conceptual architecture and design in the Netherlands. Robert. Thiemann. Jeroen. Junte. David. Keuning. 12. 2013. Daab Media. 978-3-942597-10-4.
  8. Web site: Ghost Chair collection by Design Drift. Marcus Fairs. April 20, 2008. Dezeen. January 2, 2018.
  9. Web site: Dead or Alive, Museum of Arts and Design, New York. Ariella Budick. September 27, 2010. Financial Times. January 2, 2019.
  10. Web site: Beauty that is Always Strange. Cindi di Marzo. June 28, 2010. Studio International. January 2, 2019.
  11. Web site: Flylight by Studio Drift. Lauren Del Vecchio. December 19, 2011. yatzer.com. January 2, 2019.
  12. Web site: Naturally Electric. Aaron Seward. December 11, 2012. Architectural Lighting. January 2, 2019.
  13. Web site: studio DRIFT presents kapellbrücke light work at belgrade design week. Andrea Chin. October 10, 2014. Designboom. January 2, 2019.
  14. Book: Designing Interior Architecture: Concept, Typology, Material, Construction. Sylvia. Leydecker. 225. 2013. Birkhäuser. 978-3-0346-0680-6. Google Books.
  15. Web site: Nola colour-mixing lamps by Studio Drift at Eat Drink Design. Rose Etherington. October 25, 2013. Dezeen. January 2, 2018.
  16. Web site: This Obsidian Mirror Was Once Toxic Chemical Waste. Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan. April 24, 2014. Gizmodo. January 2, 2018.
  17. Web site: Van Abbemuseum's Thing Nothing exhibition explores "the value of the physical object". Emma Tucker. October 25, 2015. Dezeen. January 2, 2018.
  18. Web site: Studio Drift: Shylight. October 28, 2014. Domus. January 2, 2019.
  19. Web site: The Abu Dhabi Edition: Ian Schrager's slick new eco hotel. Annabelle Spranklen. December 9, 2018. Evening Standard. January 2, 2019.
  20. Web site: Studio Drift Isn't Afraid to Ask Really Big Questions. Margot Van Der Krogt. April 2, 2018. Surface. January 2, 2019.
  21. Web site: The Design Museum opens 2018 Beazley Designs of the Year exhibition. Sujata Burman. October 8, 2018. Wallpaper. January 2, 2019.
  22. Web site: THE DESIGN PRIZE 2018 - and the winners are…. Juliana Neira. April 24, 2018. Designboom. January 2, 2019.
  23. Web site: In plaats van over Sottsass maakt Stedelijk expo over Studio Drift. Instead of Sottsass Stedelijk makes Studio Drift exposition. Dutch. Arjen Ribbens. March 7, 2018. NRC Handelsblad. January 2, 2018.
  24. Web site: Brilliant Things To Do in April. April 2, 2018. Belle Hutton, Daisy Woodward. Another Magazine. January 2, 2019.
  25. Web site: Franchise Freedom by Studio Drift Dezeen Awards Winners. 2020-07-02. Dezeen. en.
  26. Web site: 2020-01-28. studio drift's 'EGO' is a handwoven object that changes shape. 2020-07-02. designboom architecture & design magazine. en.
  27. Web site: Magazine. Wallpaper*. 2020-01-31. The world's oldest opera gains a space-age stage intervention. 2020-07-02. Wallpaper*.
  28. Web site: A dazzling web by Studio Drift serves as a metaphor for connection. 2020-07-02. www.theartnewspaper.com. 26 March 2020 .
  29. Web site: Pace Gallery A Live Performance by Lee Ranaldo. 2020-07-02. www.pacegallery.com. en.
  30. Web site: Magazine. Wallpaper*. 2020-05-07. Drift's poetic drone installation takes flight for Netherlands' Liberation Day. 2020-07-02. Wallpaper*.
  31. Web site: 2020-05-05. Studio Drift uses drones to create beating heart above Rotterdam in tribute to healthcare workers. 2020-07-02. Dezeen. en.
  32. Web site: Rhythms of Nature: The Art & Design of DRIFT . 2023-03-27 . philamuseum.org . en.
  33. Web site: Collab Design Excellence Award . 2023-03-27 . philamuseum.org . en.
  34. Web site: Studio Drift Dandelight. Helen Chislette. July 17, 2016. Financial Times. January 2, 2019.
  35. Book: La Rocca, Francesca. Design on trial: Critique and metamorphosis of the contemporary object. 2017. FrancoAngeli. 97. 978-88-917-4914-7.
  36. Web site: All things bright and technical: nature and mechanics combine in Studio Drift's Rijksmuseum installation. March 23, 2015. Christopher Stocks. Wallpaper. January 2, 2019.
  37. Web site: Flight of fancy: watch Studio Drift's kinetic installation for 2015 Venice Art Biennale take off. Sam Rogers. June 9, 2015. Wallpaper. January 2, 2019.
  38. Web site: How Microsoft's HoloLens Creates a 'Virtual Museum' at New York Armory Show. Kacy Burdette. March 2, 2017. Fortune. January 2, 2019.
  39. Web site: Move Over, Virtual Reality—a New Artistic Medium Is about to Emerge. Molly Gottschalk. February 28, 2017. Artsy. January 2, 2019.
  40. Web site: studio drift installs hanging bouquet of robotic flowers that blossom when you are near. Kieron Marchese. October 22, 2018. Designboom. January 2, 2019.
  41. Web site: Didero . Maria Cristina . Studio Drift: dream big and think of the improbable . 2023-01-07 . Domus Magazine . en-gb.
  42. Web site: Studio Drift deconstructs everyday objects for Materialism series at Frieze LA. Eleanor Gibson. February 21, 2019. Dezeen. January 2, 2019.
  43. Web site: Fragile Future Chandelier 3.5. 2012. Stedelijk Museum. January 2, 2019.
  44. Web site: Rijksmuseum weer best bezochte museum van Nederland: 2,3 miljoen bezoekers. Rijksmuseum again best visited museum in the Netherlands: 2.3 million visitors. Dutch. Michiel Kruijt. December 17, 2018. de Volkskrant. January 2, 2019.
  45. Web site: Drones flock, concrete hovers and lamps bloom as Studio Drift reimagines science and nature. Yoko Choy. April 24, 2018. Wallpaper. January 2, 2019.
  46. Web site: Philips Wing by Cruz y Ortiz completes the 11-year renovation of the Rijksmuseum. Amy Frearson. October 25, 2014. Dezeen. January 2, 2019.
  47. Web site: What is Luxury? - Object in Focus: Fragile Future Concrete Chandelier by Studio Drift. 2015. Victoria and Albert museum. January 2, 2019.
  48. Web site: Studio Drift,Ghost chair, designed 2007, fabricated 2009. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. 2015. January 2, 2019.
  49. Web site: Israel Museum presents contemporary design exhibition "Curious Minds". December 21, 2011. artdaily.com. January 2, 2019.
  50. Web site: Design Days Dubai 2012. March 29, 2012. Yoko Choy. Wallpaper. January 2, 2019.
  51. Web site: Nieuwe energie in design en kunst. February 26, 2012. Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. January 2, 2018.
  52. Web site: Fragile Future lights up Abu Dhabi Art Fair. November 19, 2013. designcarrot.net. January 2, 2019.
  53. Web site: A natureza futurista do Studio Drift. Natural futurizm of Studio Drift. Portuguese. Michell Lott. September 9, 2014. Casa Vogue. January 2, 2019.
  54. Web site: What Is Luxury? The V&A Has Some Ideas. Tabish Khan. April 27, 2015. Londonist. January 2, 2019.
  55. Web site: Defining Luxury for a Modern Era. Libby Banks. March 26, 2015. The New York Times. January 2, 2019.
  56. Web site: V&A Asks, What Is Luxury?. Kathleen Beckett. August 26, 2015. The New York Times. January 2, 2019.
  57. Web site: Stedelijk Museum's Dreaming Out Loud exhibition showcases social design. Emma Tucker. August 29, 2016. Dezeen. January 2, 2019.
  58. Web site: Concrete Block to Levitate at Armory Show. Alex Greenberger. February 2, 2017. ARTnews. January 2, 2019.
  59. Web site: Think Giant Concrete Blocks Can't Fly? Think Again. March 2, 2017. Vice.com. January 2, 2018.
  60. Web site: Monolithic block appears to levitate for Studio Drift's Armory Show installation. Dan Howarth. March 6, 2017. Dezeen. January 2, 2019.
  61. Web site: Bright ideas and lightbulb moments likely at Dubai Design Week. Selina Denman. November 10, 2018. The National. January 2, 2019.
  62. Web site: Studio Drift uses drones to create beating heart above Rotterdam in tribute to healthcare workers. Benedict Hobson. May 5, 2020. Dezeen. May 24, 2020.

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