Fragile Future

Studio Drift

科技與大自然一向都被視為處於互相對立及角力的關係,假如未來世界是兩者結合的總和?荷蘭的設計二人組合Studio Drift沒有假如,實在地把兩者以設計連結,展現出一個詩意的烏托邦。

《Fragile Future》就是他們對未來的想像。這個大型雕塑裝置包括一組銅製的電路,電路末端連接著LED小燈,燈光上有盛放的蒲公英。蒲公英不是後天移植過去,而是以人手將每顆種子接在燈光上,熱力讓蒲公英生長盛放。《Fragile Future》外型看來非常高科技,但每顆蒲公英的種子都是由人手揀選,然後逐顆逐顆放在LED燈上。這種細緻如傳統工藝的創作方法,是Studio Drift對大型生產及即棄文化的叩問。在現今科技以光速發展的年代,自然界的演變被科技拋離萬丈遠,二人組合就是要嘗試將兩者放在一起,看看它們能否一同演變進化。

以創作去討論未來人類、大自然與科技之間關係的恆常改變,是Studio Drift一貫的美學基礎。他們的作品都從這個基礎出發,以不同燈光、動能裝置將科技與藝術之間的界線模糊,也讓觀眾反思自己跟大自然的關係,二人組的詩意與想像力令死板及冰冷的科技變得溫柔。除了《Fragile Future》之外,去年十二月在邁亞密Art Basel的夜空中,他們以三百組小型燈光飛行裝置,加上電腦演算法做成作品《Franchise Freedom》,令邁亞密的夜空佈滿發光的飛鳥,模仿只有大自然(如螢火蟲或北極光)才能做到的大型夜光。

Studio Drift以科技加入藝術創作,在採討大自然與人類之間關係的同時卻沒有那種「人定勝天」的自大,他們明白人類的脆弱,對未來的想像就是希望大自然、人類及科技可以互補演變。

Fragile Future3

Technology and nature are often seen as mutually exclusive as two oppositional concepts; what if the future is, in fact, a blend of the two? Instead of merely hypothesizing, the Dutch design duo Studio Drift combined the two to create a poetic utopia.

Fragile Future is the duo’s imagination of the future of our planet. The sculpture consists of a massive set of bronze electrical circuits connected to light emitting dandelions. It contains real dandelion seeds, that were picked by hand, and glued seed by seed to LED lights. The seeds started to grow under the warmth of the light. Regardless of the high-tech appearance, Fragile Future was built from a labor-intensive process. Through such a process that is as detailed as the traditional craftsmanship, Studio Drift is trying to make a clear statement against mass production and throwaway culture. Are the rapid technological developments of our age really more advanced than the evolution of nature? The dandelion has become such a symbolic example to juxtapose with technology in such context. The task is to see how could those two evolve together?

Studio Drift has always been using their design as a medium to discuss the constantly evolving relationship among human beings in the future, nature, and technology. Departing from this basis, they create installation art using light and kinetic energy to blur the boundary between technology and art. By presenting the somewhat inhuman technology in a more tender way with the help of poetic imagery, the duo hopes to invite viewers to reexamine their relationship with nature. Last year in December during Art Basel Miami Beach 2017, Studio Drift also presented their work titled Franchise Freedom, which is a flying sculpture consists of 300 drones each equipped with a light source programmed by an algorithm. The artwork brightened the sky of Miami Beach like illuminated birds to simulate a large crowd of fireflies or the aurora in nature.

While incorporating technology into their artwork, Studio Drift hopes to question the relationship between nature and human. Their works present no intention to state the superiority of human beings; Rather, the duo understands how delicate human is. In their imaginary future, they hope to see nature, human and technology to collaborate and evolve together.

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