In Celebration of AMEX Art ON: DRIFT at Pinakothek der Moderne

On Wednesday evening, the Pinakothek der Moderne transformed into a space where imagination became reality. To inaugurate  Amex Art ON –  an inspiring event series, created by American Express® to enable art lovers to experience the spectacular combination of art and technology, DRIFT exhibited their Shylight installation. Reproducing a project from 2006, the kinetic installation Shylight is a performance of movement and illumination inspired by the reaction of flowers to sunlight. Mimicking the organic process “nyctinasty” that causes flowers to close at night, these fabricated blossoms contract and unfurl in a hypnotic choreography. Constructed with stainless steel and aluminum, the textile flowers were strung from the ceiling of the Pinakothek rotunda, and brought to life with an automatic robotics system. Illuminated from within by LED bulbs, the flowers descend from and retract into the ceiling, casting dilating pools of light on the viewers.

At the opening, Joep Beving, Dutch virtuoso pianist and composer created a delicate sonic atmosphere to accompany the installation. The architectural dome of the light-filled rotunda at Pinakothek der Moderne served as the perfect location to underline the ethereal sculpture Shylight. Following the immersive music accompaniment, the guests enjoyed a freestyle collaboration between DJs CHELO and VENTI while the night turned into a festive celebration of melting art and culture.

The exhibition was made possible by American Express® as part of an inspiring event series to raise accessibility to inspiring art and culture that is free of cost and accessible to all. Therefore, American Express is offering free admission to the Pinakothek der Moderne for the first 500 visitors on all five Saturdays during the exhibition period. Shylight by DRIFT will run from April 11- May 12 at Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich.

Find out more here.

About DRIFT

DRIFT was founded by a duo of Dutch artists, Lonne Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, who have now expanded the project to a multidisciplinary team of 65 artists and designers. Their work centers around a return to a sensory and experiential relationship to art, with large-scale exhibitions, permanent installations in public spaces, and interactive, multi-media technologies. Focusing often on the patterns of natural movement and evolution, their works attempt to connect audiences to the visual rhythms of nature.