HAMBURG.- On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the internationally well-known artists DRIFT are staging their most extensive presentation in Germany to date at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg. From January 7 to May 8, 2022, DRIFT will transform the MK&G into a sensual experience space on 350 square meters with three spectacular kinetic room-filling sculptures. Self-luminous real dandelion seeds, magnificent silk flowers that gracefully unfurl and retract, and a spatial installation that mimics the behaviour of plants and animals allow visitors to experience the deep connection between humans and nature. Parallel to the exhibition, DRIFT was commissioned by the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, in close coordination with MK&G, to develop a performative artwork that will illuminate the exterior of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg in a new light, referencing its surroundings and its interior: music. Founded in 2007 by Lonneke Gordijn (1980) and Ralph Nauta (1978), DRIFT uses technology to make phenomena and hidden properties of nature visible in order to learn from them and restore our relationship with nature.

SHYLIGHT

The large main staircase of the MK&G welcomes visitors over two floors with a moving still life of becoming and passing: The touching choreography of the light sculpture Shylight imitates the unfolding and retraction of magnificent blossoms. Many layers of gossamer silk give them the grace of dancers. Some plants have the ability to close at night to protect themselves and conserve their resources. This sophisticated principle of nature bears a strong resemblance to human emotions and inspired DRIFT's work. How can inanimate things express changes in character and emotion, Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta ask. Most man-made objects and buildings have a static form, while everything natural, including humans themselves, is in a constant state of metamorphosis and adaptation to the environment. Thus, Shylight combines the movement of static entities with the change of floral structures.

IN 20 STEPS




In 20 Steps is a tribute to humanity’s dream to fly and overcome his earthly limitations. Fascinated by the quest to understand and mimic nature, DRIFT translates this perseverance into a visually powerful spatial sculpture. 20 delicate pairs of glass wings perform the process of flying above the heads of the visitors in the MK&G's central building. The up and down swinging of the individual elements is triggered by weights that glide back and forth in the serially positioned tubes. These are synchronized by a computer, so that one thinks one is watching the beating of a bird's wings in slow motion. At the same time, the work captures the flight in a single moment. The glass emphasizes the fragility of the movement and of nature itself. The light refracts in the glass and continues in the reflections and rays in the space.

FRAGILE FUTURE III

Fragile Future III combines high-tech and poetic imagery, in which light plays a central role as a symbolic and emotional component. The multidisciplinary light sculpture consists of real dandelion seeds, which are picked by hand and reassembled piece by piece around individual LED lights in circuits made of copper. DRIFT wants this labor intensive process to be understood as a clear statement against mass production and throwaway culture. Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta create a vision of the future with Fragile Future III. They put the question whether the rapid technological developments of our time are really further advanced than the evolution of nature. Fragile Future III offers viewers an emotional approach to these thoughts and reminds us that light is the basis of all life.

DRIFT

Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn (1980) and Ralph Nauta (1978) founded DRIFT in 2007, working with a multidisciplinary team on experiential sculptures, installations and performances. DRIFT has realized numerous exhibitions worldwide, including at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (2009, 2015), the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (2010), the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, (2018), UTA Artist Space Beverly Hills (2019), the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow (2019), the