Flylight

In this amazing light installation from studio Drift,  HID was responsible for the Technical construction and installation.

Made by: Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph NautaMaterials: Glass, custom made fittings, led, software, electronics

Flylight (2007) is a site-specific light installation that directly interacts with its surroundings. It consists of delicate glass tubes that light up in an unpredictable way, partially responsive to external stimuli. The light mimics the behavior of a flock of birds in flight, symbolizing the conflict between the safeness of the group and the freedom of the individual.

While birds are the ultimate symbol of freedom, in a flock they move as one single entity, creating mesmerizing patterns. This flock behavior is an example of “self-organization”, meaning that no single bird leads the flight. Amazingly enough, each individual senses the speed and the direction of the group. This natural phenomenon formed a source of inspiration for Flylight, for which the flock behavior was translated into specially developed agent-based software. This means that the patterns in which the installation lights up are not pre-programmed but have an interactive compound – just like a real flock of birds.

The work questions the delicate balance between the group and the individual. Just like birds, people find safety in a group, while at the same time they are forced to act according to a set of rules on which society functions. Who chooses total individual freedom above these rules is forced to operate outside of society. Where lies the perfect balance between the two? With Flylight, Studio Drift reflects upon this question in both a poetic and aesthetic way.

Flylight has been exhibited during Salone del Mobile 2011 in Milan, The Israel Museum, La Biennale di Venezia in 2012 and at a private event during Art Dubai in 2013.
The Pavillion of Art & Design (PAD) commissioned a Flylight installation for the entrance of the Paris 2013 edition in collaboration with HSBC.

Flylight has been featured in many on and offline publications; of which the highlights: FT  – How to Spend it, Harpers Bazaar UAE, L’Officiel Art, Architectural Digest France, Casa da Abitare and Luxury Culture.