Latest news with #DRIFT
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Garden Futures: Not for those who love a manicured lawn
There's not much greenery in evidence when I arrive outside V&A Dundee: grey skies, a leaden sheen to the River Tay, concrete panels cladding Kengo Kuma's waterfront building, which opened in 2018. Inside, an installation by Dutch design studio DRIFT extends the monochrome theme: 11 mechanised lights, with white shades inspired by flowers that close at night, rise and fall like robotic jellyfish pulsating in an imaginary ocean. But, with quotes on the walls by the likes of the 20th-century French philosopher Michel Foucault, Garden Futures, the museum's new show of more than 400 objects (an expanded, 'localised' version of a touring exhibition initiated by Germany's Vitra Design Museum), is seemingly pitched at highbrow design enthusiasts as much as horticulturalists hoping to finesse their herbaceous borders. The title of the final section – 'Garden of Ideas' – distils the approach. As someone who – to the despair of my wife – has never fired up a lawnmower, this comes as a relief. There's surely only so much excitement anyone can muster for all the scythes, rakes, watering cans and hoes in an introductory display of wall-mounted tools; many of the subsequent objects and ideas, though, proved beguiling enough to captivate this horticultural novice. That said, their presentation may irk traditionalists who relish immaculate lawns – described, in the catalogue, as monotonous 'green deserts', and associated, in the exhibition, with aggressive chemicals marketed during the 20th century to foster their growth. Filled with artworks, including paintings by those 20th-century artists-cum-gardeners Cedric Morris and Duncan Grant, and Requiem (1957), a tall, hollowed-out walnut sculpture by Barbara Hepworth, as gorgeous and sleek as an embrace, the opening section, 'Paradise', makes plain that gardens have always been central to humanity's imagination. (Consider the Garden of Eden.) At the same time, it suggests that exclusion is intrinsic to their underlying concept: the word 'paradise', we're told, derives from the ancient Persian for 'walled enclosure'. 'Garden Politics' explicitly links the history of gardening to '19th-century European colonialism and industrialisation'. (What exhibition doesn't attempt to draw such connections these days?) There's talk, too, of 'guerrilla gardening as a political tool' and 'seed bombs'. Yet, an inventive setting, evoking a hedge maze, suggests the complexity of the issues involved; and it's here that the exhibition's most powerful and moving artworks may be found: a pair of images by Dutch photographer Henk Wildschut of gardens scraped together in refugee camps in Tunisia and Lebanon, with plastic bottles for picket fences. One of the show's heroes, the artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman, magicked an unlikely garden out of stony coastal ground in Kent, having been diagnosed as HIV-positive. These examples remind us that gardens can be sanctuaries of hope. Hope is the theme of the exhibition's final stages, which showcase enterprising work by designers inspired by gardens and nature, intended to bring about a more sustainable future. A chair consisting of a single ash sapling grown for several years around a custom frame in a Derbyshire orchard (a process its makers describe as 'biofacture', not manufacture) is drooping, skew-whiff – and beautiful. A minuscule but ingenious 'system' for aerial seeding – inspired by the seed of a flower that drills itself into the earth to germinate – may provide a remedy for desertification. I could take or leave (okay, leave) the show's politicking. But exhibits like these represent brilliant, original concepts that bloom in the mind.
Time Out Dubai
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
DRIFT Dubai's Saturday brunch offers a slice of the Riviera
Get a slice of joie de vivre right here in our very own city. DRIFT Dubai is bringing the charm of the riviera – complete with baskets of lavender, lemon and olive branches – in its first Saturday brunch. It's serving South of France chic with a side of sea breeze. Taking place on Saturday April 26 from noon to 5pm, the Riviera Brunch at DRIFT Sea Lounge invites you to ease into a relaxed afternoon with sharing-style French dishes made from fresh seafood and meats, live stations brimming with Provençal flair and bubbly. The menu leans into the flavours of the Riviera. The curated music will be as easy on the ears as the seaside view is on the eyes. Whether you're in it for the food, the setting, or just the vibe, this Med brunch might just be your perfect excuse to pretend you're somewhere between Nice and Saint-Tropez. Offering that Côte d'Azur charm, ideal if you're after something a little refined but still sociable. Those days when you want to dress it up and head out but also relax a bit. When you're reeling from the vibes and the food, you'll want to tap your feet as the live music pours in and the picturesque beachfront stretches out in front of you. For those who can't get enough of it, the Riviera Brunch will continue this summer at DRIFT restaurant. Well, it's got all the makings of a pretty nice little Saturday. So we'll see you there? To reserve your spot, book online drop a message on WhatsApp at 050 189 5738. From Dhs380. Sat Apr 26 noon-5pm. One&Only Royal Mirage (04 315 2200).
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Exhibition of ‘dancing flowers' opens at design museum
A light installation of 'dancing flowers' has gone on show at Scotland's design museum ahead of an exhibition about gardens. Shylight can be seen in Scotland for the first time at V&A Dundee, heralding the opening of Garden Futures: Designing With Nature in May. The installation of movement and light, designed by Amsterdam-based studio DRIFT, is inspired by plant biology and flowers that close their petals at night. Suspended from the ceiling above the museum's staircase and entrance foyer, the 11 individual Shylights are formed of multiple layers of silk and powered by robotics. They can be seen dancing down from the ceiling whilst opening up, echoing the blossoming of a flower, then beginning to close and retreat upwards again, all at different times. Caroline Grewar, programme director at V&A Dundee, said: 'The arrival of Shylight at V&A Dundee brings with it a captivating new way to enjoy the building. 'The 'dancing flower' sculptures offer a moment of calm and contemplation when they gracefully rise and fall, creating a completely unique experience for everyone who sees them.' Shylight will be on display until August 19 while ticketed exhibition Garden Futures: Designing With Nature will run from May 17 until January 25, 2026. Lonneke Gordijin, co-founder of DRIFT, said: 'The design idea behind Shylight is inspired by 'nyctinasty', a plant biology term that describes the physical reaction of plants to changes in light, where certain types of flowers close their petals at night to conserve their resources. 'The Shylights echo the cyclical nature of plants and encourages viewers to consider the constant transformation of the natural world and our place within this. 'We are really excited to see Shylight installed within the world-famous architecture of V&A Dundee and on display in Scotland for the first time.' Previously seen in cities and museums around the world including London, New York, Helsinki and Hamburg, and on permanent display at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Shylight is free to view in V&A Dundee's Locke Hall. V&A Dundee has expanded this year's exhibition programme to include four other free displays, looking at the design of games and the dancefloor, Scottish fashion, ground-breaking medical care and innovation, and an exhibition that explores the history of Palestinian dress. Design Dance Play, which runs from February 22 to April 27, offers a 'fun and accessible way to understand more about game design, the dancefloor and the power of play', the museum said. From March 12 to April 18, a fashion display titled Icons Of Style will be on show, opening in tandem with the new two-part series of the same name on BBC iPlayer with broadcaster Kirsty Wark. It will be followed from May 3 until September 14 by an exhibition looking at care, community and medical innovation celebrating Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. The exhibition Thread Memory: Embroidery From Palestine, will open on June 20 and will run until April next year. Drawing on the collections of the V&A and the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, it will 'immerse visitors in the history of Palestinian dress'. Leonie Bell, director of V&A Dundee, said: 'Our programme shares stories of design, new innovations and design's cultural heritage and its impactful role in our lives from our city, from across Scotland and the UK, and from around the world. 'It's a celebration of the power of design and creativity in all our lives, firing imaginations and sparking curiosity for all our visitors. 'With a diverse array of free exhibits and installations, we warmly invite everyone to explore and be inspired by the museum and our shared world of design.'
The Independent
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Exhibition of ‘dancing flowers' opens at design museum
A light installation of 'dancing flowers' has gone on show at Scotland's design museum ahead of an exhibition about gardens. Shylight can be seen in Scotland for the first time at V&A Dundee, heralding the opening of Garden Futures: Designing With Nature in May. The installation of movement and light, designed by Amsterdam-based studio DRIFT, is inspired by plant biology and flowers that close their petals at night. Suspended from the ceiling above the museum's staircase and entrance foyer, the 11 individual Shylights are formed of multiple layers of silk and powered by robotics. They can be seen dancing down from the ceiling whilst opening up, echoing the blossoming of a flower, then beginning to close and retreat upwards again, all at different times. Caroline Grewar, programme director at V&A Dundee, said: 'The arrival of Shylight at V&A Dundee brings with it a captivating new way to enjoy the building. 'The 'dancing flower' sculptures offer a moment of calm and contemplation when they gracefully rise and fall, creating a completely unique experience for everyone who sees them.' Shylight will be on display until August 19 while ticketed exhibition Garden Futures: Designing With Nature will run from May 17 until January 25, 2026. Lonneke Gordijin, co-founder of DRIFT, said: 'The design idea behind Shylight is inspired by 'nyctinasty', a plant biology term that describes the physical reaction of plants to changes in light, where certain types of flowers close their petals at night to conserve their resources. 'The Shylights echo the cyclical nature of plants and encourages viewers to consider the constant transformation of the natural world and our place within this. 'We are really excited to see Shylight installed within the world-famous architecture of V&A Dundee and on display in Scotland for the first time.' Previously seen in cities and museums around the world including London, New York, Helsinki and Hamburg, and on permanent display at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Shylight is free to view in V&A Dundee's Locke Hall. V&A Dundee has expanded this year's exhibition programme to include four other free displays, looking at the design of games and the dancefloor, Scottish fashion, ground-breaking medical care and innovation, and an exhibition that explores the history of Palestinian dress. Design Dance Play, which runs from February 22 to April 27, offers a 'fun and accessible way to understand more about game design, the dancefloor and the power of play', the museum said. From March 12 to April 18, a fashion display titled Icons Of Style will be on show, opening in tandem with the new two-part series of the same name on BBC iPlayer with broadcaster Kirsty Wark. It will be followed from May 3 until September 14 by an exhibition looking at care, community and medical innovation celebrating Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. The exhibition Thread Memory: Embroidery From Palestine, will open on June 20 and will run until April next year. Drawing on the collections of the V&A and the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, it will 'immerse visitors in the history of Palestinian dress'. Leonie Bell, director of V&A Dundee, said: 'Our programme shares stories of design, new innovations and design's cultural heritage and its impactful role in our lives from our city, from across Scotland and the UK, and from around the world. 'It's a celebration of the power of design and creativity in all our lives, firing imaginations and sparking curiosity for all our visitors. 'With a diverse array of free exhibits and installations, we warmly invite everyone to explore and be inspired by the museum and our shared world of design.'
