When it comes to incorporating technology in art and design to achieve poetic and innovative results, the Dutch definitely seem to pull off this feat with flair. A great example of course is the work of Studio Drift, whose artful treatment of light and balanced combination of technology with traditional craftsmanship lead to truly stunning light designs. Not surprisingly, the studio has received several awards and honours for its designs, the latest being the acquisition of five of the studio’s signature Shylights by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Developed between 2010 and 2014, the Shylight was inspired by the ‘behaviour’ of certain flowers that close at night and reopen at dawn, and is the result of a collaboration between seamstresses, automation experts and the entire Studio Drift team. Now part of the museum’s permanent collection, the Shylights tirelessly perform their delicate choreography at the top of a spectacular stairwell, creating an interesting dialogue between their exposed robotic parts and the 19th-century decor around them.

About Studio Drift
Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta founded Studio Drift in 2006. The studio’s philosophy is to explore the relationship between nature, technology and mankind, through continuous collaborations with scientists, university departments, research facilities, programmers and engineers. Studio Drift’s most well known projects include Fragile Future III, Flylight, and the Ghost Collection. Their work has been exhibited at leading museums and fairs worldwide.

“As our visual language is characterized by dreamy and poetic aesthetics, the concept behind our work is often based on an unexpectedly critical engagement. The results are truly innovative and ground-breaking projects – a testament to the cross-pollination between the technically advanced and the aesthetically beautiful, permeated with awareness of future potentials.”

via Yatzer