Artwork
Whispers
by DRIFT
Whispers is a large-scale, kinetic public art installation created by the renowned Dutch studio DRIFT (founded by artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta) for the Manar Abu Dhabi 2025 exhibition
The artwork draws inspiration from the minimalist, resilient form of wild Guinea grass. It explores how fields of native plants naturally sway, bend, and elegantly adapt to invisible, passing wind currents.The physical installation is a vast, open-air field composed of 500 custom-engineered, flexible illuminated filaments/stems made from steel, carbon fiber, and PMMA (acrylic glass).The installation utilizes wind sensors to react to the natural coastal breezes of Jubail Island [DRIFT DEBUTS THREE NEW OUTDOOR INSTALLATIONS AT MANAR ABU DHABI]. As the wind rolls across the dunes, the 500 glowing stems flex and dance in unison, transforming invisible airflow into a living, synchronized choreography of shifting light.The glowing LED tips of the stems are intentionally positioned at the average height of a human viewer [DRIFT DEBUTS THREE NEW OUTDOOR INSTALLATIONS AT MANAR ABU DHABI]. This deliberate design choice places the audience directly inside the moving artwork, collapsing the boundary between the human visitor, the natural environment, and the sculpture.
- Event / exhibition
- Manar Abu Dhabi
- Location
- Jubail Island
- Year
- 2025
Our involvement
For Studio Drift’s outdoor installation at Manar Abu Dhabi, our team members supported the fabrication management, LED system integration, and precise height alignment of the illuminated stems across the outdoor terrain. Their involvement was carried out through their previous professional engagements with the primary fabrication partners and sub-contractors involved in bringing the installation to life.
