Franchise Freedom

With the performative artwork Franchise Freedom, DRIFT looks deep into the nature of decision making within flora and fauna. In the natural world, living with uncertainties and adapting to change is a daily necessity and part of survival and evolution. The purpose of this artwork is to invite the audience to view a poetic side of technical innovation and connect back with nature. Based on a biological algorithm from over 10 years of research into starlings’ flight behaviour, the artwork stretches boundaries between nature and technology and generates an impactful social connection. Flocking starlings perfectly illustrate how in uncontrolled and uncertain situations, a group is able to find its way and make choices to go in the right direction. This is the direction that is chosen by the entire group after many considerations. The work therefore provokes thinking about human relationships and questions how much agency we have as individuals versus as a group. Franchise Freedom premiered at Art Basel Miami in 2017 and has since been performed in various places such as Burning Man Festival and in the city centre of Amsterdam. Video by Arjen van Eijck Produced by Drone Stories