central park to be shrouded in a flock of luminous drones by DRIFT

one thousand drones to float over central park

Dutch studio DRIFT is set to launch a thousand drones into the heart of New York City‘s Central Park on Saturday, October 21st. The ambitious light art installation will be titled Franchise Freedom, and will shroud the park in an ethereal ‘kinetic aerial sculpture’ akin to a silent fireworks display. Studio founders Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta took inspiration by the hypnotic sight of bird murmurations, where vast flocks of starlings twirl and dive in synchronized harmony across the skies.

Franchise Freedom will be open to the public, and visitors can witness the spectacle during three scheduled performances at 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm, with each show lasting a duration ten minutes.

visualization courtesy DRIFT

a fresh vision of the natural world by drift

DRIFT‘s aerial installation of drones in Central Park is supported by Therme US. Robert Hammond, the wellness company’s president and co-founder of the High Line, hopes that the aerial show will offer New Yorkers a chance to reconnect with the natural world in the heart of the city. It’s a sentiment shared by Frederick Law Olmsted himself, who led the planning of Central Park with its picturesque landscape during the 19th century for city dwellers of all classes to have access to trees and woodlands. This time, rather than recreating an untouched wilderness and memories of antiquity, the artists at DRIFT replicate the natural world in a way that is futuristic, fresh, and carefully choreographed.

DRIFT’s drone installation Franchise Freedom is expected to be the most extensive public art project in Central Park since Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s ‘The Gates.’ Despite the weather forecast indicating drizzle, the team at DRIFT assured that such mild precipitation will not affect the drones. However, heavy rain would necessitate a cancellation to protect the delicate equipment.

Each performance will be held above the Lake at Central Park, and will be visible from multiple sight lines. Recommended viewing locations include Bethesda Fountain (prime viewing area) Dead Road, Bandshell and Frisbee Hill Boat Landing and drive overpass on West 77th Street.

Central Park, map highlighting the best viewing locations | courtesy DRIFT