Studio Drift / Instagram
This weekend, 1,000 lit-up drones designed to mimic the flight patterns of starlings will fly over Central Park in a performance by Studio Drift, an Amsterdam-based artist duo specializing in choreographed sculptures and kinetic installations.
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Performances will be held on Saturday, October 21 at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., and ideal viewing locations include Bethesda Fountain, the Bandshell area and the boat landing and overpass at West 77th Street. (A map of viewing locations can be downloaded here.) Music by Joep Beving will accompany the performance.
The artwork is a poetic illustration of how we as humans strive to live autonomously within a society defined by rules and conventions. Although the drone patterns appear random and the swarm reminds us of freedom, the behaviour of these birds is completely orchestrated and subject to many rules and survival instincts.
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The people behind Franchise Freedom say it will be the largest public art project in Central Park since “The Gates” in 2005, the New York Times reports, adding that “the organizers say [the drones] will be like silent fireworks.”
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Franchise Freedom made its debut during Art Basel Miami Beach in 2017, with a 2020 follow up performance in Rotterdam.
Studio Drift’s past New York City performances have included Drifter, “an installation consisting of one floating concrete block”; and Dead or Alive, created “from parts of flora and fauna that were once living.”
Very cool. Can’t wait!
Swarm testing.
sounds beautiful, but are they certain it won’t have a negative impact on birds and bats?
To do this during bird migration is ill-timed and can certainly be harmful to migratory birds as well as the local birds who call Central Park home.
Seems DRIFT Studio is ignorant of the impact of its drones to birds including starlings that are flying at night over Central Park during fall migration. How many birds will be killed and injured by these drones?
I am extremely concerned about the 400 species of birds that depend on the night sky free of light pollution in the NYC corridor to help them during spring and fall migrations. Is this a sad harbinger of simulated nature instead and in spite of the real thing? Please support the current city council bill Intro 1039 and all Lights Out legislation and initiatives, the NYC Audubon Society, and the Wild Bird Fund which is NYC’s only wildlife rehabilitation and education center (right here on the upper west side). Save our songbirds!
Just to add, please help all of our birds to migrate and navigate the night sky, not just songbirds. The picture of the drones show in this article is early similar to the 9/11 ‘Tribute in Light’ when thousands of birds in flight get trapped and disoriented in the two shafts of light shooting towards the heavens downtown. When that happens the Municipal Society working with volunteers from the NYC Audubon Society turn off the lights for 20 minutes so the birds can re-orient themselves and fly out of the aerial maelstrom.
I’m horrified at the prospect of this lighted Drone show. While it certainly sounds as if it will be a lovely sight, it has to be horribly detrimental to the still migrating birds. As if wild birds don’t have enough difficulties already! High rise buildings with glass windows with lights on behind the windows so that the birds crash into them and are killed from the impact, etc,
Couldn’t another less potentially harmful to birds location for this show have been found?
I completely agree. They want to “pay tribute” to birds by interfering with the lives of birds. This is twisted. I don’t think another outdoor venue is even needed. This is an event that simply doesn’t need to occur.
This is selfish and stupid. Please postpone until after the migration season is over!
Birds don’t fly at night. And which kind of “wildlife” there is NY ? c’mon.. you are wild!
To X: Unfortunately your ignorance shows. There are many species of birds in New York and even more that are in the process of migrating right now. And yes, most birds fly at night when they migrate! The moon and stars aid in their navigation. Also the atmosphere is more stable at night so they can maintain a steadier course!
X – You need to do your research before posting silly and inaccurate remarks, plus attempting for no good reason, to be rude to other posters who have better information than you do. Not only do migrating, and many other birds, fly at night, (have you ever heard of Owls?!) There are also plenty of other types of wild animals who are known to make their homes in Central Park. Squirrels. Raccoons, even Coyotes.
Both NYC Audubon and the Wild Bird Fund believe this event will be harmful to migrating birds and result in multiple deaths of birds in flight. Please oppose this display. The Parks Department clearly did not conduct any ecological studies or reach out to local experts (such as NYC Audubon!) before approving this inane “art” project. It is mind-boggling that these artists claims to be inspired by birds but don’t care at all that their display will harm wild birds. There are millions of birds migrating through our airways this time of year, and many species are already under extinction pressure due to habitat loss and climate changes. When they fly over NYC, Central Park is an oasis of green amidst the gray concrete expanse, and they concentrate over Central Park. The thought of them facing whirling blades and flashing lights as they try to navigate their migratory flight is heartbreaking.
Eva Lyn. It is indeed heartbreaking to think of the harm this thoughtless event will do to birds. How can it be successfully opposed? Is it too late now?
PLEASE POSTPONE THIS SHOW SO YOU DON’T KILL MIGRATING BIRDS!!!!! #DRIFT #studioDRIFT #FranchiseFreedom #aerialperformance #droneart #drones #CentralPark #NYC #art #aerial #enjoytheshow@thermegroup
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Ralph en Lonneke,
Hier volgt een pleidooi om jullie drone evenement voor vanavond gepland uit te stellen totdat de trekvogels New York achter zich hebben gelaten op weg naar het zuiden. Het trekseizoen is namelijk nog steeds in volle gang! Honderden vogelsoorten vinden hun weg via New York. Central Park is dan een oase tussen allen wolkenkrabbers. Hebben jullie er aan gedacht dat de drones voor veel vogels een ontijdige dood zullen betekenen, of op zijn minst hun vlucht zullen verstoren? Ik hoop dat jullie gehoor zullen geven aan ons urgente verzoek nog even te wachten voordat jullie ons het drone spektakel laten zien!
Translation via Google (Dutch to English) as per Yolanda Gerritsen:
Ralph en Lonneke,
Here is a plea to postpone your drone event planned for tonight until the migratory birds have left New York behind on their way south. The migration season is still in full swing! Hundreds of bird species find their way through New York. Central Park is an oasis among all the skyscrapers. Have you considered that the drones will mean an untimely death for many birds, or at least disrupt their flight? I hope you will heed our urgent request to wait a little longer before showing us the drone spectacle!