Studio Drift

Studio DRIFT is the name of a Dutch artist duo formed by Ralph Nauta (1978–) and Lonneke Gordijn (1980–). Both graduates of the Design Academy Eindhoven, they founded Studio DRIFT in 2007 and achieved widespread recognition for their highly theatrical installations centered on light. Among their earliest projects is Fragile Future, originally presented as Gordijn’s graduation project and later developed over the years, in which real dandelion seeds are attached to small spherical LED bulbs. As the seeds eventually bloom, the light acquires a magical quality, suspended between nature and artifice. Another interpretation of the “flower-lamp” theme is explored in the installation Shylight, where a series of silk lamps rise and descend from the ceiling, opening and closing in a mesmerizing choreography. Over the years, the duo has also developed a number of performances in which lights are attached to small drones that “dance” through the air, enchanting audiences like a luminous aerial spectacle. Their design works are represented by the Carpenters Workshop Gallery, although Studio DRIFT has also made occasional forays into industrial production through collaborations with Italian companies such as Ceccotti Collezioni and, in the past, FontanaArte.