What Is The New Shining ? / Drift Studio

Interview with Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta from Drift Studio

Between nature, technology, and what’s beyond. Studio Drift is a multidisciplinary team of artists with the drive to fuse the mechanisms of nature with those of innovation. With their feet firmly planted on the ground and their gaze fixed on what’s coming, they aim to spark a conversation between the organic world and the engineered one, and as a result, ultimately craft unique experiences that reveal what nature can become in the future, if we cultivate it in harmony with our technological evolution.

Why is light such a constant element in your installations? What draws you to it as a material or language?

The presence or absence of light determines the atmosphere in a space. It sets the tone and atmosphere in ways that are often subtle but deeply impactful. For us, light is much more than just illumination — it’s a medium we use to communicate on a sensory level; it speaks directly to the body and emotions. That’s why it plays such an important role in our work. It allows us to create room-filling experiences that people don’t just see, but truly feel.

You’ve mentioned that your work tries to communicate a positive vision of the future. Is that somehow linked to energy consumption, and how does that idea feed into your practice?

Our vision isn’t directly about energy consumption, even though we recognise it as one of the most urgent issues of our time. What we focus on is a more utopian idea of a future where technology and nature can exist in balance. There’s a dominant narrative that technology will eventually destroy the natural world, but we often overlook the incredible progress we’ve made through it. In our work, we try to bridge these two forces — rather than seeing them as opposites, we ask how technology can learn from nature, and how we might use it to build a future where humans live in harmony with their environment. This vision is best represented in Fragile Future, Lonneke’s graduation project and the first artwork that sums up what DRIFT stands for. The sculpture consists of three-dimensional bronze electrical circuits connected to light-emitting dandelions. The sculpture can go on endlessly, as new circuits can always be added. It contains real dandelion seeds that were picked by hand and glued, seed by seed, to LED lights. Fragile Future brings together two opposing evolutions — nature and technology — to evoke a utopian vision of the future where the two coexist.

How do you navigate between large-scale installations and exhibitions, more intimate settings like private collections, and shared spaces like co-living environments? What role does space play in how your work is experienced?

Space plays an essential role in how our work is experienced — it contextualises the artworks and influences how they are perceived. Over the years, we have had the honor to present our works in different institutions around the world, and each time, what we enjoy the most is figuring out how the artwork would fit into the space. When put in a museum, the work becomes the focal point; it is a DRIFT artwork, carrying our vision and putting that vision in dialogue with the architecture. When put into a more intimate context, the work becomes part of the owner’s curated collection, part of their story rather than ours.

“The presence or absence of light determines the atmosphere in a space.”

What was your first big project — the one that felt like a turning point or kick-off for your practice — and how did it come together?

One of our biggest turning points was Franchise Freedom, a performance with 100 drones using swarming algorithms to mimic the flight patterns of birds, that we did for Art Basel Miami 2017. It was incredibly challenging — technically, emotionally, and conceptually. At the time, we partnered with Intel, who owned the drone hardware, and convincing a major tech company to engage with a project rooted in emotion and art was a battle in itself. We still remember the first test flight: after months of work, the drones took off — and we felt… nothing. It was a huge disappointment. That moment taught us that creating an emotional connection isn’t automatic, even with advanced technology. We had to rethink everything — from the drones’ speed and movement to how they occupied space. It also highlighted how little attention the tech world gives to emotional impact, which continues to drive our mission to integrate emotion into technological development through our art.

How would you describe your creative direction at this moment? Where is it moving?

Our vision has stayed consistent from the start, and as technology continues to distance us from nature, we feel it’s more relevant than ever. At DRIFT, we use technology to reveal the hidden patterns and intelligence of the natural world, aiming to reconnect people with it. Our work draws parallels between man-made and natural systems, using innovation and interaction to ask deeper questions about life and to imagine a more hopeful future.

Do you usually start with the concept, or do you need to know the space before the work starts to take shape?

It really depends on the project, honestly, especially whether we were brought in to create something for a specific space. If that’s the case, then it’s really important to understand the space beforehand, because not every piece will have the same effect in every environment. We look at what might work best with the architecture and how to create the kind of experience we want people to have when they walk through. But if the project isn’t tied to a particular place, then the creative process is a lot more open — naturally, it’s a totally different approach.

“Space plays an essential role in how our work is experienced – it contextualises the artworks and influences how they are perceived.”

Is AI something that interests you in your artistic process? How do you see its presence evolving in the art world, and does it resonate with your own approach?

Definitely! We’ve been experimenting with AI in the studio, and you can see it integrated into some of our recent works. One example is our Coded Nature series, which explores the connection between humans, nature, and technology. In the second iteration, Coded Nature II: Vortex, we used an evolutionary AI algorithm to help shape both the choreography and the soundscape, which responds in real time to visitors’ movements. Each interaction creates a unique experience — no two are the same. We are also revealing a new multisensory AI experience this May in collaboration with SCAD Lacoste, where we convert visitors’ biometric data into AI-generated visuals. This installation, titled Unfold, is an exploration of the self, where the pulse of life manifests through the ephemeral beauty of flora.There’s definitely a lot of anxiety around AI in the art world, especially the fear that it might replace human creativity. But in line with our more utopian artistic vision, we see AI as a powerful tool — something that can actually expand our creative possibilities, not limit them.

Where do you draw the line — if there is one — between art and design? Do you see them as separate practices or part of the same flow?

For us, the main difference between art and design lies in intention and approach. Design is often about solving a specific problem within certain constraints; there’s usually a clear function or purpose behind it. Art, on the other hand, is more open-ended. Our work leans more toward the artistic side, especially as our practice evolves. While we do collaborate with architects and interior designers, our projects are primarily driven by curiosity and conceptual exploration rather than function. Since most of our clients are museums and cultural institutions, we’re able to focus on creating experiences that spark emotion, invite interpretation, and provoke thought rather than fulfilling a practical need.

How do people usually connect with you? And what makes you decide to take on a project?

When considering a new project, the first thing we look at is whether it aligns with our artistic vision. What really matters to us is that each new project brings something meaningful to DRIFT’s body of work and contributes to the larger dialogue around the role of art, technology, and nature in our society.

Could you tell us what the next project you’re working on is for the near future?

Right now, our team is extremely busy preparing for the opening of the DRIFT Museum, which is set to open in the spring of 2025. The museum will display all our installations, including a few new ones. This has been our dream since we founded our studio: to have our own space, allowing us to create the full DRIFT experience as we envision it. We cannot wait to create a sustainable space in our home city of Amsterdam that will inspire and connect our future visitors!

What Is The New Shining ? / Drift Studio

Credits:

Artists: Lonneke Gordijn / @lonneke.gordijn Ralph Nauta / @ralphnauta
Studio Drift / @studio.drift
Words: Camila Reza Núñez / @chile_mila.ron
Editor: Maria Abramenko  / @mariabramenko
Junior Editor: Annalisa Fabbrucci / @annalisa_fabbrucci

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