Drift creates suspended light installation for Shy Society in Venice

During the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Amsterdam based studio Studio DRIFT transforms the Grand Canal in Venice into a luminous urban stage with Shy Society, a large scale kinetic light installation suspended above the water between the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the historic Ponte dell’Accademia.

Installed on the façade of Palazzo Balbi from May 3 to May 10, the work extends DRIFT’s ongoing exploration of nature, movement, and technology into the public realm. Visible from the Accademia Bridge and passing boats, the installation introduces a constantly shifting choreography of light and motion into one of Venice’s most iconic civic spaces.

Rather than functioning as a static sculpture, Shy Society unfolds as a living performance shaped by rhythm, atmosphere, and the movement of the city itself.

The installation builds upon Shylight, one of DRIFT’s most recognized works, originally developed through five years of research into the nyctinastic movements of flowers that open and close according to environmental rhythms.

Composed of aluminium, polished stainless steel, silk, LEDs, and robotics, the suspended sculptures expand and retract through an internal choreography programmed with millimetric precision. Layers of silk allow the luminous forms to move with exceptional softness, creating an effect that feels simultaneously mechanical and organic.

Suspended above the canal, the glowing elements pulse in synchronized sequences calibrated to the rhythm of a resting human heartbeat. This slow temporal structure encourages moments of pause and reflection, transforming the public space into a collective sensory experience shaped by movement, water, and light.

With Shy Society, DRIFT challenges the monumental language often associated with civic environments. Instead of permanence and rigidity, the installation introduces fragility, tactility, and rhythm into the urban landscape.

The project reflects the studio’s broader practice of translating natural phenomena into technological experiences that remain emotionally resonant. In Venice, this approach acquires particular intensity as the work interacts continuously with reflections on water, shifting daylight, and the atmosphere of the Biennale itself.

The installation also marks an important moment in the evolution of DRIFT’s practice beyond museums and galleries. Previous iterations of Shylight have appeared in institutions including the Rijksmuseum and the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, alongside collaborations such as performances with the New York City Ballet and exhibitions at Palazzo Strozzi.

Founded in Amsterdam in 2007 by Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, DRIFT has become internationally known for immersive installations that investigate the relationship between technology, nature, and human perception.

With Shy Society, the studio expands this research into the scale of the city itself. Floating above Venice’s Grand Canal during the Biennale vernissage week, the installation proposes a different understanding of public art: one based not on spectacle alone, but on shared atmosphere, emotional resonance, and collective stillness.

Project Credit

Project Name: Shy Society
Location: Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
Event: 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, May 3th – 10th, 2026
Design Firm: Studio DRIFT / @studio.drift
Photography: Ela Bialkowska – OKNO Studio, Arjen van Eijk – Xinix Films