Amsterdam: 300 drones light up sky

Amsterdam played host last weekend to an unusual artwork: an armada of 300 lit-up drones imitating a swarm of starlings.

The work, called "Franchise Freedom" is the work of Studio Drift artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, is meant to symbolize modern society. The artists developed it after spending 10 years studying starlings and translating their patterns into software.

Gordijn explained to press that "The swarm as an autonomous organism expresses freedom while the individual birds have to adhere to strict rules not to fly into each other. The resulting image is a wonderful translation of how we live together as people and look for our own place inside or outside society."

First presented at last year's Art Basel, the work uses 300 Intel 'shooting star' drones. Studio Drift also has a current exhibit at Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum.