Miami Beach. Last night at South Beach, on the
evening of December 6, Amsterdam based Studio Drift, Lonneke Gordijn
and Ralph Nauta, presented their latest work “FRANCHISE FREEDOM – a
flying sculpture by Studio Drift in partnership with BMW” to an
audience of hundreds of stunned guests and astonished onlookers. On
the occasion of Art Basel Miami Beach, 300 illuminated drones moved
across the sky above the ocean mimicking a flock of birds and creating
a performative artwork at the interface between technology, science,
and art.
“Everything can be simulated in animation and virtual reality, but we
think there is an importance in creating real experiences that you can
feel and see with your own eyes in the real world, not only through a
screen”, says Lonneke Gordijn, co-founder of Studio
Drift, Amsterdam, about the general mind set and approach of Studio Drift.
“This was a once in a lifetime pleasure to behold,” says
Hildegard Wortmann, Senior Vice President Brand
BMW. “It was Edmund Burke – in the middle of the 18th century within
his well-known treatise on the sublime – who wrote of beauty as being
a movement. This is what Studio Drift and Bayerische Motoren Werke
both wholeheartedly subscribe to. ‘FRANCHISE FREEDOM’ is a
technological wonder and a breathtaking aesthetic experience.”
In celebration of Art Basel in Miami Beach 2017, Studio Drift, BMW,
FuturePace as well as Faena premiered “FRANCHISE FREEDOM”. By
imitating the natural phenomenon of a swarm of birds, it is the first
time for this orchestrated movement to be presented by machines
working with decentralized algorithms at a very large scale.
Additional shows weather permitting are planned nightly at 8 PM from
Thursday to Sunday, December 7-10. The drones perform on the beach
above the sea between 32nd and 33rd Street off Collins Avenue behind
the Faena Hotel Miami Beach. They are visible from a large distance –
detailed timing will be shared on Instagram by Studio Drift
@studio.drift, Pace Gallery @pacegallery and by BMW on Instagram
@bmwgroupculture and Facebook #bmwgroupculture.
Studio Drift questions the delicate balance between the group and the
individual. The sacrifice made by the individual subjecting to the
group gives off the illusion of freedom, creating a never-ending
cycle. To create “FRANCHISE FREEDOM”, Studio Drift studied the natural
flight patterns of starlings and translated them into software that
was specially developed and embedded in the drones. Their technology
is based on ongoing university research on flocking behavior, as the
principles of self-organization have become more and more relevant in
our changing world.
BMW has a 50-year global track record of recognizing and enabling
talent in the arts. The company makes artistic visions come true and
honors the full creative freedom of any artist or institution they
collaborate with. When Studio Drift sought a dialogue with BMW in
regard to their ambitious project, the company, as long-term partner
of Art Basel, could not pass on the challenge. For the period of over
half a year, discussions ensued between BMW and Studio Drift – just as
they did with artists like Jeff Koons, Olafur Eliasson, and Cao Fei
before them.
The full collaboration is documented by four films, all slated to be
released by the end of 2017. The first one, a portrait of Studio Drift
and footage of “FRANCHISE FREEDOM – a flying sculpture by Studio Drift
in partnership with BMW” can be found at: www.bmw.com
and www.press.bmwgroup.com.
While Studio Drift presented their latest artwork at the interface
between science, art and technology, Bayerische Motoren Werke had one
of their latest masterpieces on site: the BMW Concept 8
Series was on display for guests to see up close in the Faena
Beach Dome on Decemer 6, 2017. The study car serves as a taster of a
forthcoming BMW model – the BMW Concept 8 Series stands for new design
ideas and form-building techniques, representing the pinnacle of
sports performance and exclusivity at BMW and slated for launch in
2018 as part of the most ambitious model offensive in the company’s history.
For further questions please contact:
Dr Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental
Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49 89 382 247
53
Fax: +49 89 382 24418
E-Mail: presse@bmw.de
Studio Drift / Pace Gallery press inquiries:
Hanna Gisel
Pace Gallery
Email: hgisel@pacegallery.com
About Studio Drift
Based in Amsterdam, Studio Drift was established in 2006 by Lonneke
Gordijn (b. 1980, Alkmaar, Netherlands) and Ralph Nauta (b. 1978,
Swindon, United Kingdom), who attended the Design Academy Eindhoven
together. Studio Drift explores the relationship between nature,
technology, and humankind in site-specific installations and
interactive sculptures. Studio Drift draws their inspiration from
nature, both formally and philosophically, while their creative
process is fuelled by innovative technologies and methods. Their
groundbreaking work comes to life through ongoing collaborations with
scientists, university departments, and research facilities, computer
programmers and engineers. Their practice is a testament to the
cross-pollination between the technically advanced and the
aesthetically beautiful, permeated with an awareness of future potential.
About FuturePace
Studio Drift is represented by Pace Gallery, taking part in the
gallery’s FuturePace program. Established by Mollie
Dent-Brocklehurst, Pace Gallery, and Mark Davy, founder of Futurecity,
FuturePace offers a pioneering approach to commissioning art ‘in the
public realm’. The partnership builds on the expansive and important
histories of both Pace and Futurecity, bridging Pace’s extensive
global resources with Futurecity’s innovative approach to developing
large scale commissions for artists in the public realm. FuturePace
develops partnerships and opportunities with an international group of
artists including Studio Drift, Kohei Nawa, Carsten Nicolai, Random
International, Michal Rovner, Studio Swine, teamLab, and Leo Villareal
articulating a focus on art that transforms conventions of public
sculpture by reaching into the digital sphere.
About BMW Group’s Cultural Commitment
For almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in
over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main
focus of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art,
classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972,
three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter
specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group’s Munich headquarters.
Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim,
Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW. In
2016 and 2017, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John
Baldessari created the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car
Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art
Journey and the “Opera for All” concerts in Berlin, Munich and London,
the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well
as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes
absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities for granted –
as this is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work as
it is for major innovations in a successful business.
Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/cultureand
www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMW-Group-Culture-925330854231870/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroupculture/
@BMWGroupCulture
#BMWGroupCulture
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly
facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than
140 countries.
In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and
145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately
€ 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31
December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview
Google+: http://googleplus.bmwgroup.com