The BMW Group has announced that it will sponsor the world premiere of “FRANCHISE FREEDOM – a flying sculpture by Studio Drift in partnership with BMW” created by Amsterdam based artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta. The sculpture is made up of 300 illuminated drones while will fly after sunset to “simulate a flock of birds above the ocean and beach.”
The work will be premiered during Art Basel in Miami Beach
“’FRANCHISE FREEDOM – a flying sculpture by Studio Drift in partnership with BMW’ is a performative artwork at the interface between technology, science, and art,” says the release. The swarm of 300 autonomous drones represent “the first time that a flock on this scale is presented by machines working with decentralized algorithms,” says BMW. “Inspired by the spectacle of starlings clustering together in massive flocks and exposing the tension between individual freedom and safety in numbers, Studio Drift questions the delicate balance between the group and the individual. Studio Drift’s first research on this project dates back to 2007.”
The Studio Drift team studied flocks of birds and translated flight patterns into software embedded in the drones. “We were impressed by the courage of BMW to get involved here, as an artwork of this scope and scale has never even been tested before. They believed in our idea because they fully comprehend how complicated and intricate those innovative processes are,” says Lonneke Gordijn, co-founder of Studio Drift, Amsterdam.
Says Hildegard Wortmann, Senior Vice President Brand BMW: “Studio Drift and BMW both subscribe to a symbiosis of innovation and beauty. I congratulate Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta for the perseverance in turning their endeavor into a reality. ‘FRANCHISE FREEDOM’ is both a technological wonder and an aesthetic experience to behold.”
The private inaugural performance and event will take place on the evening of Wednesday, December 6, on the beach of Faena Hotel with additional performances, weather permitting, throughout the week. The drones will be visible from a large distance.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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